BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Rhode Island Street in Buffalo, you will find Dalfonso's Italian Imports — a shop specializing in Italian products. Owner and operator Jeffrey Dalfonso said he's excited to bring this to the Five Points neighborhood.
Dalfonso said this is not necessarily a sit-down restaurant, but there will be tables inside and outside in the shop's garden space to enjoy an espresso or sandwich.
"We'll also have specially made products from our family recipes for grab-and-go. Coffee, espresso, cookies — everything you could ever want that's Italian," he said.
When you walk in there will be a counter for coffee and a deli where Dalfonso said two sandwiches will be offered each week.
The other side of the shop will be for retail like authentic olive oil, vinegars and tomatoes.
"We're going to be strictly Italian," he said referring to the product.
Dalfonso said he is looking forward to bringing his vision to life by February, but this wasn't what he always intended to do professionally.
"I always thought I would open a fine dining sit-down restaurant I never thought I would do Italian food. I stayed away from it for years and years and then the older I got and I think I got more comfortable with our food and realizing how important it is," Dalfonso explained, "And just through my family heritage and our home cooking and then my travels to Italy, I saw how different and unique the shops were and then I would come back and feel just upset with everything that we had here."
So Dalfonso wanted to bring that experience to Buffalo and that's how Dalfonso's Italian Imports came to be.
"I'm excited to bring it to the west side specifically because it is such a huge history of Italian immigrants that settled here. Italian people that never left," he said.
