The Story

Gianfranco started his career in Seattle in 1979 after his move from Calabria at the age of 22.  His love for the kitchen only grew from there, leading him to open his first restaurant, Il Paesano Ristorante Pizzeria on University Way in 1985.  He won the hearts of most Seattleites through their stomachs and a tradition of providing excellence was born!

In the years to follow, Gianfranco would continue to generate a number of new restaurants including:

* Il Paesano, Seattle 1985

* Calabria, Kirkland 1988

* Il Monello, Issaquah 1992

* Gianfranco, Snoqualmie 2002

* Il Paesano, North Bend 2016

The similarities between his hometown in the great Sila of Calabria and the Snoqualmie Valley led him and his family to North Bend in 2002, where they have lived for close to two decades.

14 years from the opening of his last restaurant and many trips to Italy later, Gianfranco is back home ready to present Il Paesano Ristorante Italiano to North Bend, the whole Snoqualmie Valley and the greater Seattle area!