Gian-Tony’s, the Italian restaurant on Daggett Avenue across from Berra Park, has changed hands. Longtime owners Tony and Eva Catarinicchia sold the business to Joe Bergfeld, who took over Dec. 1, St. Louis Magazine reported. The restaurant’s website confirms the handoff to Joe and Dominic Bergfeld on that date.
The deal included the land, the building, the restaurant and Tony’s recipes. Bergfeld, a longtime steel and construction materials executive who led Pittsburgh Pipe for nearly five decades, will run it with his son Dominic, who will handle day-to-day operations.
A new name is coming
The new owners plan to rename the restaurant Fiore’s on the Hill after several months of business as usual. According to the magazine, the name comes from the maiden name of Dominic’s maternal grandmother. An architect is working on a refresh of the dining room.
Diners should still find favorites such as chicken spedini and steaks. The owners told St. Louis Magazine they planned a smaller, more focused menu to streamline the kitchen and cut waste.
The Bergfelds also want to build a bigger following on social media to bring in new customers. The existing staff stayed on. Several of the principal servers have worked there for 20 to 31 years. Bergfeld said the Catarinicchias would always have a table waiting for them.
Three and a half decades on Daggett
Tony Catarinicchia emigrated from Sicily in 1972 and worked at Giovanni’s on The Hill before opening Gian-Tony’s in 1989 with his brother, St. Louis Magazine reported when the restaurant was listed for sale in March 2025. He and Eva took full ownership in 1991. At the time of the listing, a broker stressed that the restaurant was for sale, not closing, and that Tony hoped a buyer would carry on its legacy. The listing described a 5,678-square-foot building with seating for about 150 inside and 50 on the sidewalk patio, plus an upstairs apartment and a fenced garden.
The restaurant is at 5356 Daggett Ave. and serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday, according to its website.
Update, Oct. 26, 2026: As of late October 2026, the restaurant was still operating as Gian-Tony’s, according to its website. We have not seen an announced date for the Fiore’s name change.
For more on the neighborhood’s past, see our History of The Hill timeline.
Sources: St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis Magazine, Gian-Tony’s (website).
