Tonia and Giancarlo Scalzotto are a match made in heaven. So is the match between their trattoria-style eatery, Scalzotto’s Italian Restaurant, and the Loveland community.
The restaurant opened in November 2021, but the love story started more than 20 years ago over salsa. The couple met while out dancing in Denver. Giancarlo who is from Vicenza, a town in northern Italy, was vacationing in the US when a friend introduced him to Tonia, a native Coloradoan.
Tonia says, “We were drawn together.” They traveled back and forth visiting each other for a while, but it wasn’t long before they tied the knot and started their life together in Italy.
Together, they have a mind for business and food. In 2004, they aimed to introduce a new kind of cuisine to their Italian community and opened a fast-food Mexican restaurant that they eventually grew into a chain of 18 very successful restaurants. By 2013, their three children were getting older and they decided to return to Colorado to access opportunities that their kids couldn’t experience abroad. They wanted to stay in the restaurant industry and with Giancarlo’s roots, an Italian establishment was a no-brainer.
Shortly after moving back to Colorado, they opened their first restaurant in Broomfield, and their new Loveland location is the second. The third and probably final spot will open in Westminster this year. All locations serve authentic northern Italian cuisine and deliver a charming experience for families, date nights, and celebrations.
Many of the recipes come from Giancarlo’s mom - it’s a family affair. Tonia says the sweet and savory pear and prosciutto ravioli is not to be missed!
So what’s love got to do with it? Everything. Tonia and Giancarlo share a common dream, yet they always support the other in fulfilling their personal ambitions. That supportive dynamic has proven key to their story.
As Giancarlo tells Tonia, “I’d marry you a thousand times over again!”
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530 Cleveland Avenue
Loveland, CO
970-541-4747