The space at 805 N. Davis Ave. has seen a number of restaurant tenants over the years. For a long time it was Avenue 805, then The Betty on Davis, followed by a French concept from Kevin Roberts (of Perly’s and the bygone Black Sheep), Swan Dive, which shuttered in late April. While some may consider the location to be “cursed,” current tenants Susannah Proctor and Gersi Mamega are experienced hands at bringing life to properties with a similar reputation.

When the couple opened the doors of their Italian eatery, Gersi, on Monday, Oct. 1, it marked a new beginning for the transplants from Brooklyn, New York. The husband-and-wife team opened the first location of Gersi in Brooklyn in July 2016. They had been approached by a real estate agent who knew they had been looking to open a restaurant, and they flipped the space in 90 days.