New Italian eatery to open in Old City Hall in Davis
At a time when many businesses are just focused on surviving, a new one is set to open in a well-known, historic location.
Plans are in the works for a new Italian eatery called Mamma at the Old City Hall building in Davis. It used to be the site of Bistro 33, but it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
"We're not just trying to open another Italian restaurant. We're really focused on making it affordable for everybody," Michael Galyen said.
Galyen and Arnaud Drouvillé are co-owners of the new business. They both live in Napa and have experience working together in the restaurant industry.
"He said, 'Can you imagine a restaurant that does classic Neopolitan pizzas at $8, $9?' I said, 'Man, if you could do that, you'd have a line down the block,'" Galyen said, describing the conversation with Drouvillé that started it all.
Drouvillé is a chef, so he started making pizzas and pastas. Then, the concept came closer to becoming a reality when Galyen realized the Old City Hall building was available.
"When I took him there, his jaw literally hit the floor just the patio alone," Galyen said of his visit to the location with Drouvillé.
Galyen said this is a chance for him to come home.
"My hometown is Davis. I grew up there. I graduated high school there in '89. My wife went to college there," he explained.
They said their lease requires them to open by July 1, but they are aiming to open earlier in June.