Fusillo Italian Pasta bringing freshly made pasta to the EDGE District
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A pair of lifelong friends from Italy are bringing a fast-casual Italian pasta concept to St. Pete’s EDGE District early next year.
Fusillo Italian Pasta, named after the spiral-shaped pasta, will take over a roughly 700-square-foot space at 905 Central Avenue, which has sat vacant for nearly two years following the closure of Nash’s Hot Chicken.
The restaurant is expected to open by late February or early March 2026, after a full interior renovation and obtaining a beer and wine license.
The concept, according to co-owner Alessandro Casali, is built around handmade pasta served in a modern, approachable format.
Fusillo will offer both dine-in service and grab-and-go options geared toward nearby residents, office workers, and late-night foot traffic along Central Avenue.
“Fusillo is designed to be simple, authentic, and flexible,” Casali said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We’ll have a main counter where people can order fresh pasta to eat inside or take back to the office or home. All of our pasta will be handmade every day.”
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A vacant site across from Lealman Elementary School will become a permanently affordable townhome community for 26 local families.
Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside and local officials gathered Thursday at 4000 58th Avenue North to mark the start of infrastructure work for Lealman Heights, a two-story townhome development at the corner of 58th Avenue North and 40th Street North.
The 26 townhomes are part of a broader 57-home Habitat community in Lealman, which will also include 31 single-family homes now under construction.
“Lealman Heights represents more than the construction of new homes,” Mike Sutton, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside, said at the groundbreaking. “It represents opportunity, stability, and a brighter future for local families who have worked hard and dreamed of the chance to own a home in the community they love.”
The 26 townhomes will each span 1,500 square feet and include three bedrooms and a garage. The homes will be priced between $240,000 and $280,000, based on a buyer’s income.
High Point Engineering and G2 Design are leading the project team.
Habitat expects vertical construction to begin in summer 2027.