Like many businesses, Café Italia in Pittston struggled during the height of COVID-19. Restaurants were disappointingly shut down for weeks, offering just take-out and curbside service. Thankfully, that’s changed as guidelines have been altered since the start of summer.

Now, it’s getting “better by the day,” according to Alicia Marranca, who recently shared some good news with me: She’s purchased Café Italia from her mother and will keep all of the original family recipes. You may remember her dad, Sam, whether from in-person meetings or by reputation, as he regularly acted as the “face” inside the walls of Café Italia.