Capri Restaurant - Bravo Pizzeria / Grill
Sam and Mary Alfieri opened the Capri Restaurant on Ferry Street in the mid 1950s. Sam, originally from Naples, named it for the Isle of Capri close to his birthplace. The restaurant started out with room for 60 diners, but eventually expanded to 3 dining rooms plus a cozy living room lounge.
The family run restaurant became well known for the warm and personal welcome, its linens and beautifully set tables, and the menu of superb homemade Italian and Canadian food. The foyer had a wall of signed photos of famous guests who had dined there, including Tom Cruise, Mariah Carey, Sophia Loren and many others.
The Capri earned many awards and commendations through the years from travel and dining publications, and local "People's Choice" awards as Best Italian Restaurant in the city. Mary and her daughter Marisa continued to run the restaurant after Sam's death in 1996.
After 55 years in business, the Capri closed suddenly in 2009 under somewhat mysterious circumstances. What led to the permanent closure was unclear. By 2020, the restaurant had reopened as the Bravo Pizzeria and Grill.
Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. The Capri Restaurant/ Bravo Pizzeria-Grill.
Robbins, John. 2009. The Capri closes doors after 55 years. Niagara Falls Review 2009-11-11. https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-niagara-falls-review/20091110/281762740336412 .
Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by
Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.
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