By Heather Lusk
Another restaurant is undergoing a makeover in Zionsville.
Ciao by Il Villagio on Main Street will become Convivio later this year. Owner Emilio Cento wants to complete construction by November.
“Everybody’s refreshing,” said Cento, noting several local restaurants that have undergone recent makeovers and changes. “I just thought that it was time to redo it.”
Cento started the Italian restaurant Il Villagio in 2003. He changed it to Ciao by Il Villagio when a new landlord purchased the building several years ago.
Cento and a friend, Andrea Melani, intended to update the Zionsville location more than a year ago when a building in Carmel became available. So Cento and Melani brought the concept to a new restaurant, Convivio, which opened in November 2016 at 11529 Spring Mill Rd. Cento wants the first anniversary of the Carmel restaurant to coincide with the opening in Zionsville.
The interior of the 40 S. Main Street building will be redone, exposing some of the natural brick and opening the rooms. He plans to have a semi-open kitchen and will rework the balcony. Cento anticipates adding an automatically closing pergola in case of rain.
The addition of pizza and an area to sell fresh pasta will be the biggest additions to the new Convivio location. Passersby will be able to see fresh pasta being made in the front window.
The dinner menu will be the same at both locations with the exception of a lunch menu only available in Carmel. The menu changes every few months and features a different region of Italy incorporating fresh ingredients and pasta.
Cento’s family is from southern Italy. Melani is from northern Italy.
“We kind of get a wide range of all the different specialties throughout the country,” Cento said.
