Enter the brick building at 715 E. Locust St. and you’ll find a cozy deli accented by warm lighting, whitewashed walls and handwritten menu boards. A collection of scenic photos and prints of Italy hang among cheerful strands of tinsel as the smell of onions and slow-cooked tomatoes wafts from the kitchen. In short, the long-awaited return of Scardina Specialties is upon us.

The family-owned Italian deli in Riverwest abruptly closed in 2021 when its building at 818-822 E. Chambers St. was condemned and shut down by the city. Owner Damien Scardina was eager to reopen, but his resolve to stay in the Riverwest neighborhood complicated the process of finding a new location for the business.