A 40-year industry veteran and former corporate director of food and beverage operations for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts plans to open a downtown catering and restaurant venture next month.
Chef Vito Palmietto is targeting an early November launch - within two weeks - for Vito’s Kitchen, 307 S. Jefferson Ave., through his parent company F & B Concepts LLC.
Palmietto, who this week is finishing a four-year role as senior executive chef for Missouri State University food services company Chartwells, said Vito’s Kitchen would host public and private events, cooking classes and communal dinners.
“The beauty of this is they buy the whole place. They have me as a private chef,” Palmietto said of catering services.
Palmietto plans to serve menu options from small food items such as tapas to full dishes including pizza, seafood and sandwiches. The chef is in talks with Mansfield-based Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. to offer vegan options, and said he’s interested in speaking with other local companies - such as City Butcher and Barbecue - to offer artisan dishes.
“We’ll see where it grows. Like the place, it’s going to be transitional,” Palmietto said.
Beginner classes would teach knife skills and other basics, and Palmietto plans to offer couples’ classes.
Palmietto signed a long-term lease for undisclosed terms for the 2,000-square-foot space July 1 with building owner Nick Sibley. Palmietto is investing between $50,000 and $100,000 in his first restaurant venture, which includes tables built out of recycled wood from the 2007 Springfield ice storm.
“I fell in love with this spot in 1995. The front of the building is so cool,” said Palmietto, who
moved to Springfield at that time to work at University Plaza Hotel.
The longtime home of Springfield’s first Dairy Queen franchise most recently housed
McSalty's Pizza Cafe.
Palmietto, who grew up north of New York City, said Vito’s Kitchen would be open to the public during First Friday Art Walk as well as “pop-up” dinners for its social media followers. He also would have Wednesday lunches and serve coffee during the mornings to appeal to MSU’s international students at the adjacent Jim D. Morris Center.
