Marcello’s Wine Market Lafayette Food Finds Leave a comment

Birthed from a legacy of classic Italian cooking Marcello’s has become a staple across Louisiana. Gene and Marcello Todaro founded the restaurant in 1981 after noticing  the lack of authentic Italian food in the Acadiana area. Now almost 41 years later, the legacy and recipes of that family continue to warm the hearts and tummiesof Lafayette.

The first Marcello’s location was on Abbeville Highway and was owned and operated by the Todaro brothers. They soon expanded to a second Lafayette location and were experiencing high levels of success. While operating both locations the oil industry faced a major decline that led to the closure of both. In 2007 after successfully operating two wine markets in Lafayette and New Orleans, Marcello’s Wine Market Café officially opened.

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After fourteen years the Todaros sold the restaurant to Charlie Goodson and Jody Ferguson with Southern Hospitality group in 2021. Goodson who is the founder of Charley G’s in Lafayette has been working in restaurants for over 40 years and hopes to maintain the authenticity of the Marcello’s. 

“We wanted to keep a lot of elements the same,” Goodson said. “This has always been a well managed establishment and very popular. When we were approached about purchasing we thought it would be a great fit and keeps it locally owned.”

Southern Hospitality group has left much of the restaurant the way it was but did bring a new flare into the kitchen. Chef Jordan Causey has been cooking professionally since 2009 and started as a line cook for Blue Dog Café. He is now dedicated to providing guests with the best quality Italian cuisine possible.