Napoli’s Italian Restaurant is adding a second location at the Westdale Town Center in southwest Cedar Rapids. Owner Gony Veseli said the additional location is expected to open this fall at 2360 Edgewood Road SW Ste. 600, just south of WingStop, in a space formerly occupied by Noodles & Company. “We have been trying for […]
Napoli’s Italian Restaurant is adding a second location at the Westdale Town Center in southwest Cedar Rapids.
Owner Gony Veseli said the additional location is expected to open this fall at 2360 Edgewood Road SW Ste. 600, just south of WingStop, in a space formerly occupied by Noodles & Company.
“We have been trying for many years, and finally we got a location, so let's see what's going to happen,” Mr. Veseli said. “We want to give something new to the southwest side.”
The original
Napoli’s Italian Restaurant opened Feb. 14, 2011 at 500 Marion Blvd., and the new Cedar Rapids location represents its first additional site.
While a second location has been considered for some time, Mr. Veseli said plans were just finalized a few months ago.
“My guys always wanted to have a share in their own business,” he said. “So we sat down together one day and made a decision on what to do, and we found a location on the southwest side.”
The lease for the Westdale location was signed July 1, Mr. Veseli said.
Extensive renovations are being planned for the Westdale location, Mr. Veseli said. A bar will be added, and the entire interior will be remodeled to evoke the atmosphere of an Italian eatery.
“We want it to be very nice and classy,” he said. “To be honest, we don't want to have anything like Noodles & Company. We want to have something fresh, so when people come there, I don't want people to (be reminded) of anything from the other restaurant.”
Design work for the new restaurant is now being finalized, and Mr. Veseli said he hopes renovation work can begin by early August.
Mr. Veseli said the Westdale location will encompass 2,774 square feet – smaller than the Marion restaurant’s 4,000 square feet. He said he’s hoping it will seat 85 to 90 guests, as compared with the Marion restaurant’s capacity of 120.
The Westdale restaurant will also include patio seating, though it will also be more limited than the Marion location and may not be available until next year.
“It’s kind of hard for us to design with the bar, but we’re going to try to make it similar, with the white tablecloths and everything,” he said. “And we’ll try to make it welcoming, so any person can afford our food.”
Mr. Veseli said he’s not sure of an exact opening date, noting that the remodeling work may be impacted by supply limitations, but he’s anticipating being open sometime this fall. He also said he hopes to have about 20 employees at the new location.
Mr. Veseli added that he’s excited the second Napoli’s location will be part of
the expanding Westdale Town Center area.
“It’s surprising,” he said. “It used to be one big mall and nothing was really there, and now it’s totally changed. We’re very excited. Every day when I go home, my mind stays there. We’re going to keep the same quality food, and we’re hoping for the best.”
