Chicago restaurateurs tapped for only restaurant at Vatican retreat
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Photo: Courtesy of Stefani Restaurant Group
The Vatican has tapped Phil Stefani and Art Smith to create and run the only restaurant at a retreat outside Rome called Borgo Laudato Si'.
Why it matters: Stefani and Smith will operate a yet-to-be named restaurant at the 135-acre Papal Villas of Castel Gandolfo, a one-time summer residence for Popes since the 17th century, that will now be open to the public.
Driving the news: Stefani made the announcement Friday alongside Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Zoom in: Stefani is the longtime proprietor of the Stefani Restaurant Group, which owns Tavern on Rush, Tuscany Taylor and Castaways, among others.
- Smith is the one-time chef for Oprah who runs Reunion and Blue Door, as well as spots in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Orlando.
State of play: The menu will be 70% Italian, but include Chicago influences like a "papal hot dog," Stefani says, and Peruvian cuisine will also be offered as a nod to Pope Leo XIV's time in that country.
- Stefani joked that deep-dish pizza probably won't be on the menu.
Context: Borgo Laudato Si' is built on the late Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato Si', which details the urgency of caring for the environment as it "cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her."
- The grounds incorporate sustainable features like solar panels, rainwater harvesting and regenerative farming practices, and offer training in organic farming, winemaking and olive harvesting.
- The restaurant, which Stefani and Smith will develop and lead, is under construction on the site and will serve as a gathering place where ecological awareness and cultural exchange meet.
What they're saying: "This was Pope Francis' vision to build this place ... it's all about our food is going to come from the grounds. It's about helping migrants that we're going to teach them our business," Stefani said at a press conference Friday.
- "We're going to showcase Chicago. People who come there are going to know that this restaurant, the two of us are Chicagoans, and we want them to come visit our city, OK?"
Follow the money: The restaurant will be run like a partnership with Vatican, a spokesperson for Stefani Restaurant Group tells Axios. Stefani and Smith will have the opportunity to earn their investment into the property back and once they get that back, they will have a revenue share percentage split.
What's next: The restaurant is slated to open in spring 2026 and will focus on farm-to-table Italian cuisine, with Chicago and Peruvian influences as a nod to Pope Leo.
- The restaurant will serve breakfast and lunch and will be available for private events year-round.
- The property is open to the public immediately.
The intrigue: Stefani also used the event to announce that he would be stepping down after 45 years as head of the Stefani Restaurant Group, passing the baton to his children, Anthony and Gina, to run the business.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Phil Stefani's daughter's name and to add the revenue agreement the restaurateurs have with the Vatican.