Norwood's Olivadi Plans To Reopen In March

NORWOOD, MA - A popular Norwood restaurant was given another chance at reopening by the Board of Selectmen at this week's meeting.

Olivadi, located at 32 Guild St., has been closed since June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Italian eatery suffered another substantial loss when its patriarch, Anthony F. Delapa, died on April 22 of last year at the age of 82. The restaurant was named after his hometown in Italy.

The Board of Selectmen discussed whether to suspend the all-alcoholic beverage license if there were no plans to sell or open the establishment, considering the length of its closure and the availability of licenses. It unanimously approved the request to open on or before March 8.

Anthony Delapa explained that the restaurant closed because of the pandemic and the loss of his father. A deal to sell the license fell through.

"We spent the last year getting the company and the family together, because they're kind of interjoined," he said.

He added that the name will be the same, but the concept will be modified. It will continue to offer traditional Italian fare, but the signage, logo and dining area will be redesigned.

"On a scale of 0ne to 10, how certain are you that this is going to happen?" questioned Chair Tom Moloney. He noted that the applicant has appeared before the board several times seeking extensions of the license.

"I would say 100 percent," Anthony Delapa responded. "We're pretty excited. "It's something that my father loved and something that I think we're going to really enjoy."

"It's hard when you lose a family member unexpectedly," noted Selectman Helen Donohue. "But you have had the wisdom to hang on until you've all calmed down now and got the strength back. And you know that that's what he'd want."

The restaurant expects to reopen in "the first quarter of 2022." However, the board wanted a firmer date before granting another extension. Staffing is a challenge in this era, as well as getting supplies for the renovation.

Selectman William Plasko said that "an open date of sometime in the first quarter is unacceptable." He asked for a "drop dead date."

"In theory you could open tomorrow, as soon as you could hire some staff," he noted.

Selectman David Hajjar agreed, saying that this is the longest time he could remember a license being held without a business being in operation.

Anthony Delapa told the board that there will be "cosmetic improvements" to the restaurant as well as signage changes that need to go through the process before the reopening.

"It's an opportunity for us to open the restaurant to open the restaurant that is fitting for these times," added his sister, Marissa.

The family agreed to a date of on or before March 8. The hearing was continued until that date. If the restaurant is not open, the board will revisit the issue.

The Board of Selectman can be viewed on Norwood Community Media here.