Johnson County restaurant closes after 4 decades: ‘COVID has taken its toll on us’

Italian Delight by Avelluto, which has operated in Mission since 1983, is closed for good.

On the restaurant’s voicemail, the owners said it officially closed May 9: “COVID has taken its toll.”

But in a phone interview Wednesday, a partner in the family-owned business said there were several reasons for the closing.

“They all came together at the same time,” said John Avelluto. “I was thinking about retiring after 40 years in the business. The challenges of the last year solidified it. Then our lease went up midyear, and in general it is hard to find people to work. They make more on unemployment.”

Italian Delight was founded in 1977 in the former Indian Springs Shopping Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The Mission restaurant opened in 1983 at 6522 Martway St. It was known for its pizza, sandwiches and pasta.

When the founders split up in 1989, one kept the Indian Springs location and the Avelluto family kept the Mission restaurant, changing the name to Italian Delight by Avelluto. They later expanded with Cafe Italia in Mission and Il Trullo in Overland Park.

When the Mission restaurant temporarily closed for six weeks during the early days of the pandemic, Avelluto said he got a taste of what life would be like not working “50, 60, 100 hours a week.”

“It’s been a long time coming. I’m going to be happy and actually have a life,” he said.