Downtown restaurant reveals name change, vision

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – After surviving the COVID lockdown and the years of road construction, Bistro 1907 owner Mark Canzonetta says the blast and then demolition of the neighboring Realty Building made him realize change was needed.

“We just felt that on May 28, when sadly the explosion happened, that Bistro that day kind of died along with that explosion,” Canzonetta said.

Canzonetta is now re-imagining his restaurant on the ground floor of the DoubleTree hotel as Casa di Canzonetta, a family-style Italian eatery.

“It’s everything I grew up with in my life. Everything I’ve done in my career, and we just want to bring my version of Italy back downtown,” Canzonetta said.

But before that happens, a lot of work is taking place from washing the dinner and glassware, cleaning the furnishings, food prep and even scrubbing the floor.

Workers have started coming back to help with all that. In the process, they had to throw out about $25,000 worth of food that was left behind after the gas explosion.

While many of the workers stayed, there is still hiring to be done.

“We’re in the process of hiring a new general manager, and that’s going to be a huge, important step for my comfort level,” Canzonetta said.

While the decor will feature Canzonetta’s Italian influences, the familiar chalk drawing with the “Bistro” name will remain. But he stresses the opening needs to take into account what’s happening outside his doors at that point.

“There’s no detour signs, there’s no construction barriers, there’s no bulldozers in the middle of the road. I want the optics to be like the Youngstown in 2018,” Canzonetta said.

A tentative opening is planned for September 30.

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