Little Italy on Union Avenue has obtained new owners and is changing the name to Slice Midtown, located at 1495 Union Ave.
Kendall Cooper and another local partner took over the iconic restaurant on July 18, according to the Daily Memphian. While the restaurant has already reopened, the new owners are planning to complete several expansion plans started by founder Giovanni Caravello, such as a dining area and a built-in bar. Cooper tells What Now Memphis she expects to open the dining room area and “neighbor bar” sometime next month. The new bar concept will feature Italian cocktails and local drafts.
While the owners and name of the restaurant are different, customers can expect the same local feel, with much of the menu remaining the same and three of the four employees staying on the team. One difference customers may notice is a few new additions to the menu. Slice Midtown plans to start small and eventually work up to a full menu over time. Caravello will consult with the new owners as the business continues.
“We don’t want to change what Little Italy did right for so many years,” Cooper tells the Daily Memphian. “We were going to keep the name, but at the last minute, we decided not to. It was a hard decision because it was a 20-year-old name. So, we call ourselves friends of the Little Italy. We wanted to pick a name that was a simple ‘Go grab a slice.’ We didn’t want it too fancy.”
