The Little Venetian

About the Vitale Family

The Early Years

The Little Venetian, owned and operated by Joe Vitale and his Daughter Lisa, has been serving up classic Italian dishes in its current location since 2002.

The tradition was started when Papa Vitale moved from Palermo, Italy to Little Canada, a small town in Minnesota near the cities and met Mama.. With a drive to succeed in America, Mama and Papa Vitale opened the first of many ventures in the food and beverage industry; a vegetable stand on the corner of Rice Street in 1928.

The Venetian Inn

After several stepping stone ventures Mama and Papa Vitale finally opened up their dream restaurant on the corner of Rice Street and Little Canada Road. The restaurant and hearty Italian dishes were a staple to the community for over 70 years before closing their doors to the public in 2001. The Venetian Inn building was torn down for new development the following year.

The Little Venetian

Fast forward to 2002: Joe Vitale and his brother Jim (Two of the five Vitale siblings) reopened the family restaurant in an effort to carry on the family tradition. Today, Joe and his daughter Lisa are serving up great classic Venetian recipes along with new dishes that will keep you coming back for more.