By Kate Bartlett
Villaggio is approaching their 10-year anniversary of bringing casual Italian dining to the Village of Ellicottville. Nick Pitillo and Ed Gurbacki, partners in Villaggio, have plans to make the 10-year Anniversary a memorable celebration, and they are grateful for the incredible community support throughout the years.
Nick opened the doors to Villaggio, located at 7 Monroe Street, the first Wednesday in October, just before Fall Fest in 2015. “It was a complete whirlwind of events,” recalls Nick. With many years of experience in the restaurant industry and a strong Italian Restaurant in Buffalo (Osteria 166), Nick was not looking to expand. “Cheryl and Randy Kane visited me at Osteria 166 and asked if I’d ever consider returning to Ellicottville, where I grew up, and at first I wasn’t sure. I was a bit overwhelmed with one restaurant, but the idea stuck with me. Fast forward a few months, I visited Ellicottville on Father’s Day, as we frequently did, with my wife Kendra and young daughter Olivia. On that fateful day, I made a left on Monroe Street with the idea churning in my head and told my wife I wanted to show her something. As we walked into 7 Monroe Street (formerly the barn) I asked her what she thought of this location for ‘another Osteria’ and she began to cry. I wasn’t sure if they were good tears or bad tears when she responded “Why didn’t we move to Ellicottville when we moved back to Western New York?” I knew they were good tears, and the start of a wonderful chapter in our lives. We are forever grateful to Cheryl and Randy Kane who made it possible for us to raise our daughter, Olivia in my hometown, and for starting the story of Villaggio.”
After taking the keys to the property, Nick only had 29 days until Villaggio’s Grand Opening. Determined to be open for Fall Fest weekend, Nick found a hard-working crew, led by locals Jason Grover and Russ Dunkleman, to completely strip and renovate the inside, creating a functional yet cozy atmosphere, while maintaining the special character of the property. “We had an awesome team,” explains Nick. “I’m still not sure how they did it, but they made it happen!” 
With most of the time dedicated to renovating, the staff had very little time to train. “We decided to host a party the Wednesday before Fall Fest, which is now when we celebrate our anniversary,” explains Nick. “We invited everyone in town to dinner. We served free food with a cash bar, and handed out comment cards asking for suggestions and areas for improvement. It was an intense night, and a crazy six weeks, but we learned a lot.”
Villaggio is named after the Village of Ellicottville, and aptly so. “This place would be nothing without our community,” remarks Nick. “It really does take a village, and we are so happy to call Ellicottville our home. We are so blessed for the support we’ve received over the past 10 years. We have a beautiful village here, and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
Nick is grateful for such an incredible, hard-working team. “It’s rare to have so many loyal team members that have been with us since the beginning. Andrea Austin, our General Manager, is the livelihood behind Villaggio. She runs the place and does an incredible job. Kaylee, our lead server, has been with us from the start. Tyler and so many more, have been with us for many years! It is an honor to work with such dedicated people.
Nick is proud to have third and fourth generation employees at Villaggio. “It’s an honor to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful employees, many from the same family. It is an honor to have the confidence of the families of the area. Families like the Rowland’s, Pfeffer’s and Chudy’s have multiple generations of their kids work with us. As a parent myself, there may be no bigger honor. Working in a restaurant teaching incredible life skills; it’s been amazing to watch some of these kids grow up here while working at Villaggio.”
Villaggio has hosted many events throughout the past 10 years, many of which are annual celebrations. Nick organized the annual Frank Pitillo Golf Tournament to raise funds for local charities which has received an overwhelming amount of support from the community. Every Halloween season for the past 8 years, Villaggio hosts pumpkin painting in collaboration with Pumpkinville and Aldrich painting for a fun afternoon of Halloween fun, followed by Fusion Dance Studio’s Thriller Dancers flash mob performance at night. Nick also hosts an annual Meatball Street Brawl at Osteria 166 in Buffalo every September in celebration of, well, meatballs, community and Italian heritage.
Villaggio continues to operate on the core community values on which it was founded. They continue to provide casual Italian cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere where all are welcome. Every Friday, Nick’s 88-year-old mother, Joanie Pitillo to the locals…but NANI to many, cooks an Italian dish for Nani Night (last week was Manicotti) and every Sunday is all-you-can-eat pasta with live music.
Nick is endlessly grateful for the community support that Villaggio has received, and invites everyone to celebrate their 10-year anniversary on Wednesday, October 8th for an evening of live music, complimentary appetizers and drink specials. More details coming soon, but according to Nick, ‘it’s going to be big.”
For more information, visit villaggioevl.com, follow on social media, stop in to the restaurant located at 7 Monroe Street or call (716) 699-2199.