La Focaccia Italian Grill reverses retirement plan and schedules a limited reopening in Southtown
A sudden reversal after a January farewell
La Focaccia Italian Grill, a long-running Italian restaurant in San Antonio’s Southtown area, is preparing to reopen days after what many diners believed was its final service. The restaurant’s last day of regular operations had been set for Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, following an announcement tied to owner Luigi “Domenic” Ciccarelli’s retirement plans.
On Monday, Feb. 9, Ciccarelli confirmed that he is not retiring and that La Focaccia will return to service with a soft reopening on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. The restaurant is located at 800 S. Alamo St., near the King William District.
Why the closure became a pause
The restaurant’s earlier shutdown was tied to an effort to explore a sale of the business. That transaction did not proceed, and the family chose to resume operations rather than exit the restaurant entirely. The reopening plan includes limited seating and limited reservations, positioning the comeback just ahead of Valentine’s Day.
La Focaccia’s management has said the restaurant was paused while the sale was considered, rather than permanently shuttered in a legal or operational sense. The change in direction effectively turns what had been framed as a permanent closure into a brief interruption in service.
A 30-year restaurant with deeper roots in San Antonio
La Focaccia was founded in 1996 and has operated for three decades in Southtown, building a reputation around Italian-American classics and a family-run approach. Ciccarelli has worked in the restaurant industry for more than five decades, and the family’s footprint in San Antonio predates La Focaccia’s opening.
Past efforts to sell the restaurant have been discussed in prior years, reflecting an ongoing search for a transition plan that would allow the owner to step back from day-to-day operations. The latest attempt did not yield a buyer, prompting the decision to return to service.
What diners should know about the reopening
Soft reopening date: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
Location: 800 S. Alamo St., San Antonio
Seating: limited capacity during the reopening period
Reservations: by phone at 210-223-5353; the restaurant has indicated it accepts reservations for parties of six or more
A broader moment for Southtown’s dining scene
The reopening comes amid a period of visible churn in San Antonio’s restaurant landscape, with multiple closures reported in recent weeks and operators citing a mix of personal decisions, rent and cost pressures, and changing business plans. La Focaccia’s return stands out as an uncommon reversal: a retirement-driven farewell that became a reopening after a sale effort collapsed.
La Focaccia’s management has framed the decision as a return to a place the family considers home, after the restaurant’s future was briefly directed toward a potential transfer of ownership.