Apex Italian eatery serves up authentic classics
Photos courtesy of Fratelli’s.
By Dave Droschak
When the Wi-Fi password is meatballs&beer and a well-worn aluminum lasagna pan dating back to World War II is displayed in honor of the family’s food matriarch, you know you’re in an authentic Italian restaurant.
Margaret Saudo (a.k.a. Nan) passed away in 2022 at the age of 99, but her creative recipes live on in the form of Fratelli’s Delicatessen, opened by Nan’s granddaughter Shannon Thomas and her husband Dave in September 2023. “Our vision was to bring a restaurant to the community that wasn’t a chain, where anybody can come to enjoy a good home-cooked meal with a true deli feel.”
After locations in downtown Apex and Sweetwater Town Center fell through, Fratelli’s became the first restaurant of the trendy development off Richardson Road and Highway 64. “I come from sales, so I had a business plan. I had our pitch, and the developer fell in love with us,” Shannon says. “He thought we were really on to something.”
With roots in Long Island and Chicago—cities few can rival in terms of Italian cuisine—Shannon, Dave and members of their extended family feel humbled to offer cherished favorites such as chicken cutlet and beef shaved ribeye to one of the nation’s fastest-growing communities. “Our food is so fresh, and everything’s homemade,” says Shannon. “There is a lot of love that goes into that kitchen every day.”
