Located at 10821 – 95 Street, Santo’s was started by Santo and Sylvana in 1989. Santos and his wife worked together in the restaurant for over twenty years until Sylvana had to retire due to poor health. On November 1, 2011, Santos also retired and sold the business.

The new owners are Walley and Sam. The first thing they did was to close down and undertake a $750,000 renovation. The result is stunningly beautiful. The materials and workmanship are first rate. Walley designed and managed these renovations himself based on past experience.

Walley is the General Manager and Sam is the Maitre d’. This is Walley’s eighth restaurant. Born in Venezuela, he has over 25 years of experience in the restaurant business, managing restaurants in such places as the Hilton Hotel in Dallas Texas. He also has a Chef’s Red Seal to his credit.

Sam is from Lebanon and came to Canada in 1994. He has 17 years of experience in the food industry, and is Santo’s pizza expert. Sam loves the multicultural character of Edmonton and especially Little Italy. It is the personal relationships with customers that gives him the greatest joy. Sam sees business as a creative process and a potential vehicle for positive social change.

Ivan is the Food Manager. He hails from Mexico. Ivan is a certified chef and has over 12 years of experience in the food industry. Ivan worked in one of the most famous steak houses in Mexico City. His passion for fine food has been a constant theme throughout his life. Unhappy with the violence of Mexico City, he chose to move to Canada. While the menu and theme of Santo’s remains Italian, the new owners are adding more variety in the form of an expanded list of appetizers. There will also be additional specials from time to time.

With six VLTs and real-time off track horse racing an important part of the experience, Santo’s remains unique as a dining-betting experience. Of the 38 such venues in Alberta, Santo’s ranks number three in overall revenues. Walley expects to be number one in the near future.

Walley’s vision for the new Santo’s is for a destination restaurant that provides the best affordable food and entertainment. He says, “We see Santo’s as being ahead of the curve when it comes to the revitalization of Edmonton’s inner city downtown area. We want to create a community that builds on the legacy of Santo’s and Sylvana’s decades of hard work.” He also says, “There is no place like it.”

Check out the new Santo’s at www.SantosRestoLounge.com or better still, go in and have a meal.