RICHMOND, Va. — Marco Gambino had a good reason to name his new restaurant La Vera.
“La Vera” means truth in Italian, and Gambino wants to bring true Sicilian pizza to Manchester.
Gambino, a native of Sicily and part of the family that runs Bella Sicilia restaurant in Goochland, on Wednesday opened La Vera Pizza RVA, taking over for Papa’s Pizza at 214 Hull St.
Gambino took over the space at the end of August and moved quickly to prepare the restaurant for customers. He cites the ongoing development as part of what attracted him to open his business in Manchester.
“It’s really changing,” Gambino said of the area’s population increase.
La Vera is leasing the space from Tom Papa of Fountainhead Properties. Papa said the previous operator of the pizza shop decided to sell the assets to Gambino and return to Italy for awhile.
“I drove by this area. I have friends that live here, so I always saw this building,” Gambino said. “I always wanted to be here.”