Though it may seem like the people behind DeMarco’s Italian restaurant have been hinting at the opening of their new eatery for a long time, they’ve been thinking about it and working on it for even longer. DeMarco’s Italian began as a conversation between Anthony Pepe and Mike and Genine Baldassarra about three years ago.

They wanted to create an elevated, modern Italian-American dining experience and now, after months of designing, extensive recipe testing and lots of training, the restaurant located on the edge of downtown Greenville is ready for its debut. DeMarco’s is slated to open Feb. 25 at 366 Jackson St.