Joe grew up in Carini, Sicily. Nina was a young lady in Brooklyn, New York.

In 1972, these two set out to share their family recipes with the people of Charlottesville. They started in what is now Shoppers World shopping center in Charlottesville with Sal’s Pizza. One of the first pizza places in Charlottesville, Sal’s Pizza became popular for the authentic Italian food that it was. Sal’s Pizza moved to the Downtown Mall and became what it is today, Sal’s Caffe Italia.

Since 1985, the Charlottesville Downtown Mall has been the new home of Sal’s Caffe Italia. Joe and Nina built one of the first full service restaurants on the Mall and are proud to still be going strong.

Sal’s Caffe Italia is still family owned and operated today. The family and staff work hard daily to serve delicious Italian comfort food. Joe and Nina would like to thank their amazing staff over the years as well as the loyal locals and tourists who continue to visit their establishment.

Thank you for your continued support of Sal’s Caffe Italia.