{"id":103906,"date":"2026-01-18T12:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T12:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/103906\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T12:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T12:21:08","slug":"inside-the-transformation-of-former-zio-toto-restaurant-into-a-new-staten-island-eatery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/103906\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the transformation of former Zio Toto restaurant into a new Staten Island eatery"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Zio Toto closed in June and will soon reopen as Filippo\u2019s, marking a fresh chapter for the long favored Richmond Valley address at 86 Page Ave. Owner Filippo Giuffre, who also runs the Mancini Giuffre salon next door, has transformed the space through a dramatic months-long rebuild.<\/p>\n

\"Giuffre\"The new storefront features a sleek design.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Zio Toto had operated since 2007 with a white, chic interior and a name honoring Giuffre\u2019s late father, Salvatore\u2014known locally as \u201cToto.\u201d In Sicilian tradition, Zio Toto means Uncle Toto, a tribute that helped define the original restaurant\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

The new Filippo\u2019s unveils an immersive aesthetic transforming the space into a modern Italian jewel box. Rustic touches meet refinement with wagon\u2011wheel lighting, gold-toned accents, and coffered metal ceilings casting a warm glow. Slatted woodwork draws the eye upward in clean vertical lines framing a dining room designed around intimate alcoves. At its heart, a striking Italian marble bar\u2014white stone threaded with bold gray veining\u2014anchors the lounge, setting the tone for a sophisticated dining experience.<\/p>\n

\"Giuffre\"An Italian marble piece wraps around the bar.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Opposite the bar, a glass-front refrigerated wine room emphasizes Italian labels. Its gold-metal cabinetry mirrors the glowing slats behind the bar. These panels rotate to section off the lounge, giving the venue the flexibility of two connected but distinct rooms.<\/p>\n

The lounge opens to an outdoor dining area, while the main dining room glows with backlit sculptural wall forms, a refreshed coffered ceiling and a blown\u2011up image of Palermo, Sicily\u2014the owner\u2019s hometown and the visual emphasis of the redesign. Beyond the dining room is a brand-new, fully outfitted kitchen, completing the transformation. An open\u2011kitchen corner within the dining room is centered on a pizza oven.<\/p>\n

\"Giuffre\"The gold theme continues throughout a striking, climate-controlled wine cabinet. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

As renovations finished last week, Giuffre greeted visitors warmly as he reflected on the scale of the work involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gutted everything down. If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it right,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The renovation required customized sealing systems, specialized ventilation, and an obsession with craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went through such a process for this thing, sealing everything, upgrading everything. No air goes in or out unless we want it to.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Giuffre\"Spoiler alert: the wrapped up chairs are a handsome white leather.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

He explained that a recent trip to Italy also shaped his vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just came back from Tuscany, and I knew we had to elevate everything\u2014the food, the feel, all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the most personal decision was the name. At first, he considered keeping Zio Toto but ultimately abandoned the idea. He shared, \u201cI thought about keeping the old name, but people needed to know something was different. We had to bring them back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Giuffre\"The bar and lounge area can open up to a patio section.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

The new name arrived through a mix of intuition, family influence and coincidence. Giuffre was wrestling with naming options when his sister made a suggestion. The same suggestion was later echoed unexpectedly by a customer.”<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister is really the reason for the name,\u201d he said. \u201cShe pushed me. And then a customer said it, too. It just clicked.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Staten Island location, with seating for about 150 guests and a full bar, is larger and more ambitious than its Brooklyn counterpart, still called Zio Toto at 8407 Third Ave<\/a>. The brick\u2011oven pizza and beloved dishes like pasta con sarde will remain, joined by new additions including steaks and an expanded wine list. Filippo\u2019s is expected to open by Valentine\u2019s Day. And if its namesake has his way, the restaurant will be reborn with renewed purpose and polish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Zio Toto closed in June and will soon reopen as Filippo\u2019s, marking a fresh…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":103907,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-103906","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}