Little Villa’s pizza and pasta dishes have returned to Des Plaines after a two-year hiatus.
The location has changed and the business plan is a little different, but the recipes are the same.
The original Little Villa Restaurant, 660 N. Wolf Road, shuttered in 2023 after the death of founder Bob Mele Sr. His son, Bob Mele Jr. of Des Plaines, has teamed up with cousin Joe Mok of Niles to launch Little Villa Pizza Co., a delivery and takeout joint at 933 E. Oakton St. — about four miles from the original spot.
The storefront was home to Allegretti’s Pizzeria & Catering until it closed in December 2024 as part of a negotiated deal with Mele Jr. and Mok. The partners gutted the roughly 2,000-square-foot space and made it their own — although they kept the mammoth pizza oven and some other kitchen equipment.
The new Little Villa opened in May; a ribbon-cutting ceremony with city officials was held June 19.
Co-owner Joe Mok puts a cardboard cutout of original Little Villa Restaurant owner Bob Mele Sr. near the window of the new Little Villa Pizza Co. in Des Plaines. Mok has partnered with Bob Mele Jr. on the venture.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
The original Little Villa was a thriving business when Bob Mele Sr. died, Mok said, and its closing left a void for Des Plaines-area pizza lovers. Mele Jr. approached Mok in July 2024 to partner with him to open a new Little Villa.
Both had been hearing stories from former customers about first dates, birthday parties and other important events they’d enjoyed at the original Little Villa.
“I don’t think that Des Plaines was ready for Little Villa to go,” Mele Jr. said.
While Mele Jr. grew up in the restaurant business, Mok — who lovingly refers to the late Mele Sr. as “Uncle Bob” — has an auto sales and service operation near Arlington Heights called GMotorcars. He still runs that business, while Mele Jr. oversees the kitchen at Little Villa.
Co-owner Joe Mok at Little Villa Pizza Co. in Des Plaines. The takeout and delivery restaurant opened in May.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
The new menu includes pan and thin-crust pizzas, chicken parmigiana, lasagna, Italian beef sandwiches and meatball sandwiches, just to name a few items.
The cousins agreed to use the same recipes that Mele Sr. used at the original Little Villa — recipes that originated at Cesar’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, a now-closed Oakton Street venue that was founded in 1959 by Mele Jr.’s grandfather, Cesar Comes. They purchase the same ingredients from the same purveyors, too.
“We had to keep it consistent,” Mok said.
Mok and Mele Jr. managed to keep the phone number of the original Little Villa. They had to cut through a lot of corporate red tape to accomplish that feat.
“It wasn’t easy,” Mok said. “It took us three months to do it.”
Des Plaines Mayor Andrew Goczkowski said city leaders and residents are thrilled to see the Mele family return to the local restaurant scene.
“Little Villa has been a household name in Des Plaines for my entire life, as well as for a whole generation before me,” Goczkowski said.
Mele Jr. feels his dad would be proud of what he and Mok are doing. The new restaurant, Mele Jr. said, brings his dad back to life “and makes him relevant again.”
Joe Mok stands at the pizza oven at Little Villa Pizza Co. in Des Plaines. In the foreground is a dough-making machine he refurbished.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Little Villa Pizza Co. is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays from 3 to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 3 to 8 p.m. Catering also is available.
For more information, visit getlittlevilla.com or call (847) 296-7763.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
