Rigazzi’s on the Hill in St. Louis has new ownership

Rigazzi's, an iconic Italian landmark on the Hill at 4945 Daggett Ave., switched hands on Oct. 18 from longtime owners Joan Aiazzi and her late husband, Mark Aiazzi, to Corey Christanell and his business partner Donn Ganim. 

The new ownership team isn’t completely new to the game, however. Ganim brings business experience as he owned and operated Jeremiah’s Restaurant & Lounge in Cape Girardeau for 13 years, along with several franchise salons. On the other hand, Christanell brings St. Louis Italian spirit, as he grew up on the Hill, and his family have been regular patrons of Rigazzi’s since its opening in 1957.

“We found out the potential interest [for] Joan to possibly sell, and I reached out to Donn, and I'm like, that could be an amazing opportunity," Christanell said. “There's so much going on the history to the legacy of Rigazzi's; we would have regretted it if we wouldn't have pursued it.”

While there will still be the Italian classics like lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo and pizza, the new owners have promised some improvements, such as revamping the establishment's bar menu. That’ll include drinks honoring the Italian and the Aiazzi heritage, such as limoncello martinis, bourbons, and the Mark’s Manhattan, in honor of Mark Aiazzi. “Just a broader drink menu, more modern, but still honoring the Italian heritage, but also the St. Louis and the Aiazzi family and the Rigazzi's heritage. Trying to take care of everything if that makes sense – honoring the past, while evolving to the future,” Ganim said.

As the holidays draw nearer, patrons might see some slight changes taking place at Rigazzi’s. Christanell said that new additions like pub-style tables, higher chairs and perhaps larger or more TVs might be on the restaurant’s horizon.

“We know that there will be some changes, all restaurants have all changed, people's tastes change. But we want to be really thoughtful about what we do, and we want to be respectful about the menu that has been there for 66 years. So, we know that we will update it, but we really know that we kind of have a responsibility on the Hill that we want to do the Italian classics, right? We want to nail them,” Christanell said.