Andrea Lombardi

‘My Dream Coming True’: Dolce Italian Café Opening on Elm Street

By |

The long-anticipated Italian-style café, Dolce, is set to open in the heart of downtown New Canaan this week, just in time for the weekend’s highly anticipated Sidewalk Sale. Owner-operator Andrea Lombardi said he worked in and managed restaurants around Fairfield County for 14 years before finally deciding at the beginning of the year that it was time to open his own establishment. 

He set out to find a space in February, looking at several properties before settling on 98 Elm St., the site formerly occupied by New Canaan Olive Oil. With mere days left before opening, Lombardi said he’s “very excited” to be up and running. 

“I’ve worked so hard,” he said. “I’ve been saving forever and this is my dream coming true.”

An Italy native who moved to the United States as a teenager, Lombardi said he has always been interested in hospitality. With uncles in the restaurant and hotel businesses back in Italy, he said that he was able to try his hand at all aspects of the business before settling on food.

Andrea Lombardi

Italian Café ‘Dolce’ To Open on Elm Street

By |

An Italian-style café is set to open soon in the heart of downtown New Canaan. ‘Dolce,’ as it will be called, will be located at 98 Elm St. and will offer specialty coffees—espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha, Americano—in different flavors, as well as sandwiches, salads, Italian gelato, pastries, desserts, croissants, cookies and scones, owner Andrea Lombardi said. “I’m very excited,” he told NewCanaanite.com. “I can’t wait.”

An early-May opening date is planned, according to the Italian-born Lombardi, a native of Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples.