Avanti's Italian Restaurant
RestaurantsIllinois, United States51-200 Employees
Avanti's Italian Restaurant began in Normal, Illinois, in June 1971. It was originally co-owned by Guido and Albert Zeller, with Guido later operating as sole proprietor until his death in 2002; Leo Zeller remained involved, and today Guido's sons Marcus and Richard participate in ownership and management. In 2009, Marcus and Richard opened a second Bloomington-Normal location at 3302 East Empire in Bloomington. The menu centers on home-style pasta, pizza, and sandwiches, with fresh bread baked in-house to accompany meals. The restaurant offers dine-in, carry-out, delivery, catering, and a banquet room to serve customers, including Illinois State University students and faculty, and forms part of a family-owned network that includes Albert's ownership of five Avanti's locations in the Peoria/East Peoria/Pekin area.