HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A beloved Middle Tennessee restaurant that has served authentic Sicilian cuisine and fostered community connections for nearly five years has been forced to close one of its locations due to mounting financial pressures.
Giovanna Orsino, owner of Tutti Da Gio, announced the difficult decision to close her Hermitage location after struggling with rising costs, staffing challenges, and revenue losses from the recent winter storm that left the restaurant without power for several days.
"2025 for the business, it wasn't really great. Let's say that the economy was already struggling," Orsino said.
The name Tutti Da Gio means "everybody comes to Giovanna," and for nearly five years, that's exactly what happened at both locations. Each Tuesday and Wednesday in Hendersonville, customers still flock to experience dinner that goes beyond just a meal — it's tradition.
"Food is friends, family, everybody," Orsino said.
For Orsino, a Sicilian native who grew up in her father's restaurant kitchen, Tutti da Gio represented the fulfillment of a childhood dream. She came to America with the intent of recreating that Sunday morning warmth through handmade pasta, meatballs made from scratch, and recipes rooted in her heritage.
"Because this is what I remember. I always been in a restaurant. My father had a restaurant," Orsino said.
However, like many small businesses, reality hit hard. Finding trained staff and managing rising food costs proved to be ongoing challenges, with some items soaring in price throughout 2024.
"So that was the biggest challenge for me," Orsino said.
The recent winter storm delivered a final blow to the struggling Hermitage location. The restaurant lost power for multiple days while dangerous road conditions kept customers away, resulting in significant lost revenue.
"We had no electricity in this place. We had just one day over at the other place. Here was more days," Orsino said.
The decision to close her first location — what she calls her "little baby" — weighs heavily on Orsino, who feels the responsibility for her employees and their families.
"It's really hard for small businesses. It's really hard," Orsino said. "Like I feel a lot, a lot, I feel really heavy on me."
Despite the setback, Orsino refuses to abandon her dream entirely. Her Hendersonville location remains open, continuing to serve the community that has embraced her vision.
"Not giving up is part of who we are. So, like for me, this is my dream. So that's why I didn't give up," Orsino said.
Orsino emphasizes that her restaurant brings more than food to the community — it creates relationships and treats every customer like family.
"It's a good thing for the community because it brings relationships," Orsino said.
The winter storm impacted many small businesses across Middle Tennessee, with many still working to recover. Orsino encourages the community to continue supporting local businesses, noting that when customers walk through the doors of her remaining Hendersonville location, they're not just customers — they're family.
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