Sicilian immigrant Gene Todaro opened his first restaurant in Lafayette in 1981, and after more than four decades, Todaro is preparing to do it once again. Along with three other business partners, Todaro is planning to open a rustic Italian restaurant called CuGino, which is a play on the Italian word for cousin and its homonym: “with Gene.”
According to Developing Lafayette, CuGino will feature traditional Sicilian dishes that are difficult to find in the region, including arancini and Sicilian-style meatballs. The restaurant will be located in the former Tchoup’s Midcity Restaurant at 117 South College Rd., which is undergoing renovations. CuGino is set to open in October.
Todaro is known in Lafayette for his long-standing restaurant Marcello’s, which opened in 1981. He eventually sold the restaurant in 2021 to a local ownership group. For CuGino, Todaro is partnering with Hunter Moody, another local restaurateur with deep Lafayette roots.
