GREENVILLE — It started with the need for storage, but also a want for more products. That’s how Bergamo West began, but the new Italian market and deli has grown into something even more than owners Kathy and Gian Petro Ferro imagined.

The two, who also own Ristorante Bergamo in downtown Greenville, will open Bergamo West at 1278 Pendleton St. in the heart of West Greenville early next year.

Bergamo West will be part retail shop and part deli and café, the heart of both, featuring a range of imported, Italian products and goods.

Visitors can expect a place to find Italian wines by the bottle, olive oil, olives, imported meats and cheeses, and other Italian specialties, along with Italian sandwiches, espresso and pastries.

“This is true Italian,” Kathy Ferro said. “Even the salt comes from Italy.”

The market idea has been simmering for about half a year. When the Ferros took over Ristorante Bergamo in October 2020, they found a beautiful restaurant with very little storage space.

The lack of storage has impacted what Gian Pietro, the executive chef, can create on a day-to-day basis. And the culinarian who grew up in restaurants has many ideas.

Thus far, the chef has added his touch, featuring specials and creating a niche and a following with his flavorful, Northern Italian specialties.

The Ferros were living in New Jersey when they heard about the restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.

Neither had been to Greenville, nor had really heard of the city, but they were intrigued by the opportunity to own their own restaurant.

While Kathy, who retired from her job in corporate America in 2018, wasn’t looking to own a restaurant, Gian Pietro, with his lifelong passion for food, was.

But the opportunity found them, Kathy said, when Nello Gioia, the owner of Ristorante Bergamo, was looking to sell the restaurant.

Gian Pietro hails from the Bergamo region of Italy and has kept the restaurant true to its original flavors of Northern Italy, while also adding his own culinary touch.

Northern Italian cuisine centers heavily on breads and braised meats and butter, Kathy said. Dishes like lasagna are made with Bolognese and bechamel versus ricotta and tomato sauce.

Currently, the menu features duck breast with figs, osso buco, a rotating weekly seasonal risotto and other fresh pasta dishes accented with herbs, sauces and ingredients from Northern Italy.

“We are really trying to make sure everyone understands true authentic Italian food,” Kathy said. 

Gian Pietro learned to cook as a child, moving into working at his uncle’s restaurants. He was recruited to work in the U.S. after completing culinary school and spent decades working in mostly Italian restaurants in New York City.

It was in a restaurant that he met Kathy. He was a chef, she was a diner. The two hit it off.

“We went out for brunch and got married 11 months later,” Kathy said with a smile and a laugh.

Now, the partners in life and business are hoping to bring more flavor to Greenville. The market will feature a range of products, all directly from Italy.

The deli will feature a small menu of Italian sandwiches, a few salads and perhaps a daily soup. Think caprese and the like. The espresso bar will feature various Italian pastries, breads, croissants and pizzette.

Meats and cheese will be available cut to order fresh.

“I think because Greenville, so thankfully, has so embraced my husband’s cooking and the restaurant has far exceeded our expectations, that this will be a very nice complement to offer folks some of the products we use,” Kathy said.

Bergamo West Market is slated to open at the end of January at 1278 Pendleton St., Greenville. For more, visit www.bergamowest.com and follow @bergamowestgvl on Instagram and Facebook.

Expected hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.