New Italian restaurant coming to downtown St. Charles
A local restaurant group that operates several Italian eateries in the western suburbs is expanding its brand into downtown St. Charles.
Restaurateur Brian Goewey and co-owner Eugenio Alimondi are planning to open their third Gia Mia Pizza Bar at 31 S. First St., a prominent storefront in the city's First Street Plaza. The site, which formerly housed Pizzeria Neo, is being gutted and remodeled to reflect the restaurant's signature style using hickory wood and light design elements, Goewey said.
Similar to its existing locations in Geneva and Wheaton, Gia Mia will focus on chef-driven, farm-to-fork concepts such as wood-fired pizzas, small plates, homemade pastas and antipasto. The target opening date is Feb. 4, he said.
“We feel really, really excited and confident about the market,” said Goewey, who lives in Geneva. “Because of our brands in the Fox Valley and the western suburbs, this is going to be a great project for us to support the city.”
The St. Charles restaurant will be the seventh establishment under the umbrella of the BG Hospitality Group, LLC. In addition to the Gia Mia concept, the company also operates Livia Italian Eatery in Geneva and Elmhurst, Fire and Wine in Glen Ellyn and Harry & Eddie's in Hinsdale, according to city documents.
For the past few years, Goewey said, he has been looking for the right opportunity to expand into St. Charles — a natural move given its proximity to the company's Geneva headquarters. Things started falling into place after the First Street retail space opened up and he connected with property owners, he said.
Acting as the government operations committee Monday, St. Charles aldermen unanimously supported granting Gia Mia with a liquor license, as well as a 1 a.m. late-night permit. If the vote is ratified by the city council, the establishment plans to offer a “mixology bar concept” with specialty craft beer and exclusive wines, according to its website.
The renovation of the restaurant space is expected to wrap up in the next few weeks, Goewey said, noting improvements include a new bar area, an updated kitchen and a wood-fired oven. Gia Mia also plans to offer a private event space and outdoor dining.
Anticipated hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday to accommodate downtown activity, including shows at the nearby Arcada Theatre, city documents show. The restaurant will be closed Sundays for private events.