Russillo's restaurant returns to its roots near original location

An Italian eatery that closed its doors nearly a year ago is coming back to town.

And back to its roots.

Russillo's will reopen at Track 29 on 1 W. Yakima Ave. in the next few weeks, a few spots down from the space where Lisa and Brandon Russell first began selling pizza and gelato more than four years ago.

In 2006, the Russells decided to expand their business, moving it to the former Yakima Mall food court at 399 E. Yakima Ave. Financial problems soon led to the restaurant's closure last year.

Brandon Russell said the decision to reopen came after he sold pizzas during the Central Washington State Fair. Many customers asked him to reconsider opening his restaurant again, Russell said.

So when the owners of Track 29 approached Russell about reopening there, he took the opportunity.

"I believe in Yakima and, more importantly, the people in Yakima believe in me," he said.

The key to success this time, Russell said, is returning to the restaurant's original model -- a simple menu of pizza, pasta and gelato and free entertainment on the weekends.

The restaurant will have a Roman theme, with art of major landmarks such as the Vatican and The Coliseum.

Aiding Russell financially in this venture is Lonnie Davis, a Yakima native who was part of the 1953 Yakima Beetles baseball team that was the American Legion National Champions.

Davis, who lives in Puyallup, Wash., has been an investor for several years.

KIT news and sports personality Mike Bastinelli, who has invested in the restaurant in the past, will help run the restaurant when he's not working for the radio station.

Such a role isn't new for him -- his father ran restaurants while Bastinelli was growing up. His father asked him to get into the restaurant business, but he wanted to be on the radio instead.

Bastinelli said he looks forward to the restaurant going back to its glory days. He and his wife became regulars at the first
Track 29 location.

"It's a great product; it's a great concept," he said.

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.

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