Caterer is opening an Italian restaurant in SLO featuring ‘simple, streetside’ favorites
A new Italian restaurant will join the diverse lineup of eateries, shops and other businesses at San Luis Obispo Public Market at Bonetti Ranch.
Torricella Pizzeria, which got its start as a Central Coast catering business, will specialize in Neapolitan-style pizzas as well as salads, pastas, gnocchi and risotto. The menu is still being decided.
It’s the newest venture to join the Market Hall at SLO Public Market, a new business complex located near the corner of Tank Farm Road and Higuera Street. The restaurant is expected to launch this fall.
Torricella Pizzeria will offer 15 seats for customers in a space that offers views of the pizza-making process using an oven from Verona, Italy, business co-owner and chef Ben Harrison said.
The space’s kitchen is about 400 square feet, he added.
“I’ve been thinking about this idea for about two years,” Harrison said via phone. “A simple space like this appealed to me. The idea is simple, streetside Italian food that allows people to taste a variety of casual style foods of a high quality.”
Torricella Catering, which opened in 2017, takes its inspiration from the cuisine of Corigliano, Calabria, in the south of Italy.
Harrison has family ties to Italy through his sister’s husband, a native of that country. Harrison also lived in Italy for seven years and speaks the language.
The catering business will continue to operate, and complement the restaurant.
Italian restaurant chef inspired by travels, studies
According to Torricella Catering’s website, the seed for the company was planted more than a decade ago when Harrison traveled to Torricella in Calabria, Italy.
“While in Italy, he tasted food and recipes that had been passed down through generations,” the site says.
Harrison studied at Apicius Culinary School in Florence, Italy, and worked in various high-end restaurants in Italy and Germany before returning to the United States and launching his catering company, according to a news release.
For his latest venture, Harrison is partnering with longtime friend Mason Bacot, who has been working in various roles — including manager, event coordinator, and bartender — in the restaurant industry for more than 10 years, the release said.
“Torricella was born to show that passion for Italian pizza, pasta and all Italian-inspired cuisine to the people on the Central Coast,” Harrison said in the release. “Every dish is an expression of the generosity and care that the Italian family taught me.”
According to the Torricella Catering site, Harrison “loves Italian cuisine for its emphasis on fresh, simple and traditional ingredients. He respects every ingredient, whether it is fruit, vegetable or animal, and believes in utilizing every part of each ingredient.”
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SLO Public Market gets ready to open more doors
Located at 3845 South Higuera St., SLO Public Market has 24 commercial spaces, ranging in size from 400 square feet to 5,000 square feet, with several businesses already signed on.
Tenants signed up to join SLO Public Market include a brewery, a coffeeshop, a gym and businesses offering everything from cheese and acai bowls to ice cream, chocolates and cocktails.
A Thai noodle bar, a bao bun eatery and a restaurant serving classic American fare are also in store.
Orangetheory Fitness was the first business to open at SLO Public Market, launching in June.
Many of the Market Hall tenants are on schedule to open in August, according to a property representative.
Torricella Pizzeria is slated to open its doors in late 2021, likely in October, the representative said.
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