Nick Valenti, the restauranteur behind several Walt Disney World Resort restaurants, will be opening Simply Capri at Disney’s Flamingo Crossings Town Center in Winter Garden later this year.

An exact opening timeframe has not been announced, but Simply Capri is scheduled to open this spring, possibly in May. Reservations will open on April 17. The full menu is available on the Simply Capri website.

Nick Valenti is the mind behind Space 220, Via Napoli, Tutto Italia, The Edison, Enzo’s Hideaway, Morimoto Asia, Vivoli il Gelato, Naples Ristorante e Bar, Catal Restaurant, and Tortilla Jo’s. Like many of these restaurants, Simply Capri will have Italian cuisine, this time inspired by Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

Read the press release about Simply Capri below.

Simply Capri Press Release

WINTER GARDEN, FL. (March 2023)— Nick Valenti, the long-time CEO of Patina Restaurant Group and Restaurant Associates, is about to unveil his newest restaurant, Simply Capri at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center.  Scheduled to open this spring, Simply Capri will bring the charm, cuisine, and spirit of southern Italy. 

Nick Valenti has had an impressive decades-long relationship with Disney by which he developed and operated twelve successful restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

His newest endeavor with his company Simple Hospitality will be Simply Capri, which will feature wood-fired pizza, house-made pastas, dishes from the Amalfi Coast, a Negroni bar featuring Italian based cocktails, an outdoor Spritz bar that will offer refreshing summer drinks, and warm hospitality to create an upscale yet casual dining experience. 

Valenti has also assembled a dream-team for Simply Capri.  Here’s what will set the restaurant apart:

• The Executive Chef will be Giovanni Aletto, who was born and raised in Naples, Italy. Aletto was previously Executive Chef in the Italy pavilion at EPCOT and owned his own restaurant in the Marche region of Italy.   
• The General Manager will be Benito Sevarin, formerly the Head of Operations in the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT.  He was also Director of Operations for 18 years with the famed Le Cirque in New York, Las Vegas and Mexico City.
• The restaurant was designed by award-winning Italian architects Stefano Nardini and Raffaella Melucci. 
• The interior of the restaurant features imported Italian fixtures which include hand painted floor tiles, dining tables, chairs, hand blown glassware, hand painted pottery, and an Acunto pizza oven.
• Simply Capri will import Italian ingredients which will include Caputo flour, San Marzano tomatoes, cheeses, and an exclusive Italian wine list.
• The restaurant will unveil a cultural exchange program that will bring 25 representatives from Italy to be servers, chefs, and bartenders, allowing them to share their proud heritage with guests. 

“The concept, like our name is simple.  We will make great food from the freshest ingredients at reasonable prices.  When I create, design, and open a restaurant, it is important that the guest not only loves the food but leaves with unforgettable memories.  We will do that here and take our patrons to the Isle of Capri for a casual and authentic dining experience as if they were on the Amalfi Coast,” said Nick Valenti. 

Valenti is considered an innovator in the restaurant industry, praised for creating groundbreaking new restaurant concepts.  As Chairman Emeritus at the Culinary Institute of America, Valenti was awarded the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s (IFMA) Silver Plate Award, the industry’s premier accolade, for his achievements as an independent restaurateur. He was awarded the prestigious TY Award by the New York State Restaurant Association and inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. Valenti has also received lifetime achievement awards from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and NYC & Company, the official tourism and visitors bureau for New York City.

Simply Capri will be located at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center at 114 Ruby Red Place in Winter Garden, Florida.  For more information visit www.simplycapri.com.

About FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center

FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center, a new master-planned, mixed-use development with hotels, shopping and dining experiences, is currently under construction at the western gateway to Walt Disney World Resort. Once completed, guests will discover a compelling mix of over 40 familiar brands and unique-to-market offerings in a 200,000-square-foot, open-air, retail hub. Conveniently located near area attractions and theme parks, FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center will serve a dynamic and growing Central Florida area at the intersection of the Western Way and the FL-429 toll way (Orlando’s Western Beltway).

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