KENT, Ohio. — A taste of authentic Italian cuisine is being served up in Kent, where a new restaurant is putting family, community and conversation at the center of the experience.
Sonny & Olives, located in Kent's historic South End along Cherry Street, is the latest project from local entrepreneur Mike Beder — a familiar name in the city's restaurant and small-business community.
Beder, a 2000 Kent State University graduate, owns several other local businesses, including Water Street Tavern, Loft, Venice Cafe and Kent's Cleveland Bagel.
But he says Sonny & Olives is different and extra special.
The restaurant is named after his 6-year-old son, Sonny, and 7-year-old daughter, Olive, and Beder says the project is ultimately about bringing people together over food.
“This project is about the food that brings people together.”
From the signage outside to family photographs and Italian memorabilia displayed throughout the dining room, Sonny & Olives is designed to feel personal.
Beder says the concept was inspired in part by some of his favorite Italian neighborhoods and restaurants, including Little Italy in Cleveland, Boston's North End and Little Italy in New York City.
“I've always loved Little Italy in Cleveland, the North End in Boston, Little Italy in NYC,” Beder said.
Sonny & Olives serves up a variety of Italian favorites, including one of Beder's standout dishes: Sunday Gravy.
The hearty meal features sausage, meatballs and braciole, all slow-cooked together in the sauce throughout the day.
“People love the idea of not having to cook themselves but coming in and having a slow-cooked big Sunday meal,” Beder said.
The restaurant also serves bone-in veal Parmesan.
And for those looking for something a little different, there's the Caffe Parmigiana — an elevated, nitrogen-infused espresso martini topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
It's an unusual combination of sweet and savory, but Beder says diners shouldn't knock it until they try it.
For Beder, Sonny & Olives is about more than the food.
Originally from Connecticut, Beder attended Kent State and eventually made Kent his permanent home.
Now, he says he wants to invest in the community that helped shape his life.
That includes creating spaces where people can put down their phones, step away from technology and connect face-to-face.
“The opportunity for face-to-face connection is going to be more yearned for,” Beder said.
He believes restaurants can play an important role in creating those connections.
“I think that's the opportunity to create comfortable spaces for people to interact,” he said.
Sonny & Olives is also creating new employment opportunities in Kent, with more than a dozen jobs associated with the restaurant.
The restaurant is officially open Wednesday through Sunday.
For Beder, the hope is that Sonny & Olives becomes another gathering place for the Kent community — one built around food, family and conversation.
For more information, click here: https://sonnyandolives.com/
