BOULDER – New Italian restaurant Sforno Trattoria Romana, is slated to open this month in Boulder at 1308 Pearl St., the former location of Antica Roma.
“Our opening date is kind of a moving target,´ said owner Leslie Young. “We’re hoping to open before the month’s end.”
The restaurant will feature authentic Italian cuisine using local products, headed by executive chef Marco Monnanni. Italian-born Monnanni also served as chef and partner at Antica Roma, and works at Bacco Trattoria & Mozzarella Bar.
“Marco worked at Antica Roma so the location we’ve chosen is, in part, for sentimental reasons,” Young said.
Young, who also owns Bacco Trattoria & Mozzarella Bar in Boulder, has worked with Monnanni for more than six years at varying restaurants.
Sforno Trattoria Romana will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
Young said the restaurant will employ 20 to 25 people.
Sforno is the fourth restaurant to open in downtown Boulder during the past year. During the same period, five restaurants in the area closed, according to Terri Takata-Smith, director of marketing and communications for Downtown Boulder. Currently, 85 restaurants operate in downtown Boulder.
Takata-Smith said it takes an innovatie concept for a restaurant to survive in downtown Boulder.
“Food enthusiasts seem to frequent restaurants that focus on high quality, locally sourced products and ingredients,” she said. “Over the past several years, the farm-to-table movement has been a big inspiration for many of the well-established and new-to-the-area restaurants.
