FS Food Group has announced plans to bring its Italian-American restaurant Little Mama’s to Cornelius. It will open in early 2026 in a 4,300-square-foot space at 9623 Bailey Rd, Suite 100, according to a release.
This will be the third location for Little Mama’s, which originally opened in SouthPark in 2020 and later expanded to Rea Farms in 2024. This is not the first FS Food Group concept to venture into the Lake Norman area — fellow FS Food Group concept Midwood Smokehouse operates a location at Birkdale Village.
“I’ve been wanting to get in that market for a long time with Italian and just hadn’t found the right location,” Frank Scibelli, CEO of FS Food Group, told What Now Charlotte. “We just felt like it was a great fit.”
Little Mama’s offers fresh pastas, brick-oven pizzas and a mozzarella bar. Signature dishes include penne alla vodka, lasagna, giant homemade prime beef meatballs with spaghetti and chicken parmesan.
“Little Mama’s is a heartfelt project for me, built on the simple yet delicious flavors of my childhood in New England,” Scibelli said in the release. “These are the foods I grew up with and love to share — classic Italian-American dishes, made from scratch and served with genuine hospitality. We’re excited to bring that tradition to Cornelius and Lake Norman.”
Beverage director Mary Wilson will be curating the wine list and cocktail menu.
“We can’t wait to bring quality Italian wines to pair with the lake life,” Wilson said in the release.
This location will offer a similar design to the more recent Rea Farms location, featuring elements like a pizza oven, a private dining space and an enclosed patio. The space will seat 140 guests.
“It’ll be predominantly the same as what we’ve got but with some new touches that we think are important to execute better,” Scibelli said.
When Little Mama’s opens in Cornelius next year, its hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with hours extended to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
FS Food Group operates multiple local concepts, including Calle Sol, Yafo Kitchen, Paco’s Tacos and Tequila and Mama Ricotta’s. The Charlotte area can expect to see more from FS Food Group in the coming years as they seek further expansion across multiple concepts. Scibelli has his eye out for new spots for Paco’s, which has locations in SouthPark and Fort Mill, as well as additional locations for Yafo. He is looking to expand with one to three new restaurants each year for the next few years.
“I think all of our concepts are such that we can grow them some,” Scibelli said. “I think we’ll be opportunistic looking for new locations. We try to be patient with finding good real estate that fits our brands. So we’ll continue to grow it like that for the next few years.”
