Stefano Quaresima and Tsedenia Kiros had been searching for a restaurant space to call their own for years. So when the former site of popular breakfast spot Dot 2 Dot (and, more recently, Italian cafe Zia Gianna) became available at 1739 Dorchester Avenue, the married couple saw their opportunity.

“I decided to bet everything on it, and try my chance,” Quaresima says. The bet has resulted in Via Cannuccia, a cheerful little Italian restaurant and bakery that opened in the neighborhood last month, where Quaresima runs the kitchen and Kiros handles the dining room.