Historic Italian deli, Traverso’s is packing up the pepperoni and pinot; the mozzarella and tortellini and leaving downtown Santa Rosa for good. After more than 30 years in its B Street location, Michael Traverso tells BiteClub that they’ve officially inked the deal and will be headed for Fountain Grove Village at the end of the year.
The family sold the property to developer Raj Gulati several years ago and has been looking for a new location ever since. With scant parking and an aging building, Traverso says it was any easy decision to move. “We’re super niche. We’re not a grocery store, we’re more of a specialty foods store. We really have become more of a destination location, so we need more parking and easy access.”
The new digs are close to Agilent, HP and the Fountain Grove Club and senior center, Veranna, just a few miles from downtown Santa Rosa — good news for hungry business lunchers. The space is about equal in size and all of the features that have defined the store — the deli, Italian foods, wine and spirits — will remain consistent. The Fountain Grove location will include outdoor seating.
Traverso’s downtown will remain open until December 31, 2008 and plans are to open the new store in early January 2009.
Can’t live without your meatloaf? Traverso says delivery service is a definite possibility next year.
Traverso’s 106 B St., Santa Rosa, (707) 542-2530