After the death of its owner, this family-owned restaurant in Gastonia is closing

Villa Roma, a family-owned Italian and pizza restaurant in Gastonia, is permanently closing after the most recent operator, Dennis Fascella Jr., died in January at 57.

Family members said they believe Fascella’s commitment to the community and way with people are two of the main reasons customers kept coming back to the restaurant over the years.

The Fascella family relocated to Gastonia in the ’70s when Dennis Fascella Sr. personally built much of the building that housed Villa Roma and opened the restaurant with Angelo Fascella at 5000 Union Road.

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Dennis Fascella Sr. said the whole family worked at the restaurant after it opened. Fascella Jr. worked a few other jobs but spent the majority of his career at Villa Roma, his father said.

The family said ultimately, Fascella Jr.’s relationships with the community and employees kept him at Villa Roma over the years.

“If there was one thing that motivated him to continue to dedicate his life to that place, it was the people that came in there,” his son, Sam Fascella, said. “He always wanted to make people feel welcome.”

His fondness for people was reflected in the regulars who continually visited Villa Roma, including one customer who was still visiting at 100 years old.

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Villa Roma was also a community hub in that many local teens got their first jobs there.

According to Audrey Fascella, the family even had the grandchildren of former employees get jobs at the restaurant decades after their grandparents worked there.

Fascella Jr. also used the restaurant to help the community in other ways like regularly donating meals to Gaston Hospice and donating to organizations like the Salvation Army and local churches whenever he had the chance, his parents said.

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In his free time, Fascella Jr. enjoyed freshwater fishing and other outdoor activities that were reminiscent of some of his favorite memories growing up as a Boy Scout, the family said. Fascella Jr. was a talented metalworker, woodworker and all around tinkerer, they added.

In the restaurant, his mother said, he enjoyed trying out new recipes.

While Villa Roma’s doors are closing for good, Audrey Fascella said she wants to encourage the public to eat at more local restaurants. They take pride in providing something unique that you couldn’t get at a chain restaurant, she said.

To the community, the Fascellas said they appreciate 50 years of business.

“We appreciate them from the bottom of our hearts,” Sam Fascella said. “If it was not for them, it would not have lasted.”

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Villa Roma restaurant in Gastonia, NC, is closing