Bedda Matri, Italian Kitchen to close

A pair of food ventures operated by business partners Alessandro De Luca and Jennifer Morris are coming to an end.

De Luca this morning said that both Italian Kitchen LLC and the Bedda Matri food truck would be closing. Italian Kitchen, which operates as a caterer, training business for Italian cooking and family dinner option at 540 W. McDaniel St., announced its planned closure in a Facebook post yesterday.

"This decision has not come easy," the post reads, pointing to a closure date at the end of May. "Over the years, you have welcomed us into your lives – through cooking classes, unforgettable dinners, catered celebrations and quiet moments shared over a plate of something made with love. What began as a dream in a small kitchen became a family thanks to you – your support, your laughter, your stories and your trust."

While the post did not mention Bedda Matri, De Luca said via Facebook Messenger this morning that the food truck also would close.

De Luca, a native of Italy, and Morris opened Italian Kitchen as a mobile catering company in 2020 and in 2023 launched a brick-and-mortar location for the business at the McDaniel Street building downtown, according to past reporting. The business partners debuted Bedda Matri, focused on Sicilian street food, in April 2024.

De Luca said the planned closures are driven, in part, by rising food prices and "catering uncertainty." He said Italian Kitchen had a lease in the works for "a more central location downtown" that would have allowed for lunch service, but the deal fell through as the landlord went with a different tenant.

"We have no other options than closing," De Luca said.