End of an era, start of a new chapter for Dominick’s 

Passed down from generation to generation, the legacy of the Winter Springs Italian restaurant with the red-brick sign in the middle of Tuscawilla has come to an end, but the building’s story isn’t over yet. On Oct. 2, owner Dominic Commesso announced on Facebook the permanent close of Dominick’s after nearly half a century of serving southern Italian meals from pasta to pizza and subs.

The building at 1301 Winter Springs Blvd. has now been taken over by a new family-owned business, with Commesso’s granddaughter as the bar manager. Marie’s Ristorante and Pizza hosted its opening night on Nov. 5.

Commesso explained in the Facebook closure announcement post that two main factors led to the mainstay restaurant’s shuttering. 

“Due to health reasons and the unavailability of workers, we have decided as a family to permanently close for business,” Commesso wrote. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of our faithful customers for their patronage. We have had a great run since our inception in 1990!”

Before the closure, Dominick’s was a place where people could go to see local bands perform or enjoy a Wine Down Wednesday. The restaurant’s story actually begins 12 years earlier and more than 1,000 miles away, though.

In 1978 in Auburn, N.Y., Commesso and his wife Mary opened the original Dominick’s. After moving the business to Central Florida, Commesso passed the legacy of the family restaurant down to his children, Nicole and Jon.

Although Dominick’s’ reign has ended, you may see some familiar faces at the new restaurant, which kept some of the same staff from Dominick’s. Other familiar elements, Wine Down Wednesdays and live music, continues under a new name. And of course its location, nestled on the west end of Winter Springs’ Tuscawilla neighborhood, should be easy to find.