BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A celebrated Italian restaurant is preparing to welcome diners back through its doors on Buffalo's West Side.
Santasiero's, the historic Italian restaurant on Niagara Street dating back to the 1920s, is set to reopen under new ownership following upgrades and renovations.
The restaurant is targeting Wednesday, June 3, for the reopening, pending approval of a restaurant license from the City of Buffalo.
Santasiero's has been closed since August 2025, after the passing of fourth-generation owner John Brands.
New owners Mark Longo, David Capretto and Jennifer Hurley purchased the property earlier this year and have spent months upgrading the space while working to preserve its character.
I was given a "first look" on Friday.
WATCH: Santasiero's tentatively targeting June 3 reopening under new ownership
"We've replaced the flooring. We've done work in each of the dining rooms. There are three dining rooms, one of which is in front of the bar. We've redesigned the bar," Longo said.
Hurley said the team was careful to honor what was already there.
"Original layout, and we've restored a lot of what was here that was covered," Hurley said. "There was a lot of paneling, but this is the original wainscoting from the original restaurant."
The new owners said preserving the original food was just as important as preserving the original building. Obtaining the restaurant's recipes was a condition of the sale.
"That was fundamental to our purchase, to obtain the recipes that are 105 years old," Longo said.
Connecting the restaurant's past to its future is General Manager Trish Brydalski, the great-granddaughter of Santasiero's founder.
"I started here in 1983. My grandfather came down every day and taught me how to cook," Brydalski said.
Brydalski said the community never stopped asking for Santasiero's to come back.
"There was a large outcry to come back, for the restaurant to come back. Everyone was, 'Oh, I'm so sorry to see it go. I wish it would come back,'" Brydalski said.
As for what the new owners want guests to feel as they walk through the door:
"Hominess," Longo said. "We want them to feel at home."
"Traditional Italian food," added Capretto.
As for the long-term vision, the owners hope to build on what came before them.
"Carry on the tradition, keep the food," Capretto said.
"Hopefully another 100 years," Hurley added.
Once approved, the restaurant also intends to offer outdoor patio dining with 4 to 5 tables to be added on the Lafayette Avenue side of the restaurant.
