Italian restaurant opens on C-Street

Photo courtesy Google Maps

Cafe Basilico takes over the space formerly occupied by Sisters in Thyme, which is now a wholesale and special order operation.

A new Italian restaurant opened on Commercial Street as Sisters in Thyme LLC pivoted.

At 306 E. Commercial St., Cafe Basilico took over the space occupied by Sisters in Thyme, which moved to the mezzanine level of the building and transitioned to a wholesale operation, said Martha Cooper, who owns both businesses. Cafe Basilico held a soft opening Aug. 26 and announced its opening to the public two days later.

Cooper said Italian food is her passion, with menu items at Cafe Basilico including tortellini carbonara, ravioli rosa and Italian torte. Sisters in Thyme had operated as a bakery and cafe in the space since 2011, but special orders and wholesale for gluten-free options took off, resulting in the switch.

“We didn’t get a very good response other than lunchtime,” she said of Sisters in Thyme, noting Cafe Basilico operates 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

With business partner Gina Cooper, Cafe Basilico employs two servers and is seeking to hire more employees.