The team behind San Diego restaurants Mezé Greek Fusion, El Chingon, Prohibition Lounge and Havana 1920 has acquired popular Little Italy sister Italian eateries Monello and Bencotto.
GBOD Hospitality Group was founded by brothers Raymond and Patrick Davoudi with the 2012 opening of Mezé Greek Fusion in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. Two new partners, Joe Santos and Aleko Achtipes, joined GBOD in 2014 with the aim to build an eclectic area of hospitality brands around America's Finest City and beyond. Building on the success of Mezé, GBOD took over operations of underground speakeasy Prohibition in February 2017, followed by the opening El Chingon Bad Ass Mexican in May 2017. GBOD opened Mezé at Liberty Station in June 2017 (since closed), Havana 1920 in October 2017, and the company added the now-defunct Monkey King to its portfolio in June 2018. GBOD also operated Dough Nations pizzeria in Barrio Logan from 2019 until the concept shuttered in mid-2021. This past January, the company took over ownership of Las Tres Catrinas Mexican restaurant in Chula Vista. GBOD also operates an El Chingon location and La Chingona bar & restaurant in Fort Worth, TX, with an El Chingon set to open in Dallas by the end of the year.
GBOD Hospitality Group has now added Little Italy favorites Monello and Bencotto to its growing portfolio of restaurants and bars. Building on the sister Italian restaurants signature dishes and beverages, GBOD Hospitality Group will introduce new cocktails from GBOD's beverage director Ryan Andrews in the coming months while at the same time aiming to maintain the essence of the decade-old eateries. Longtime Becotto/Monello Executive Chef Fabrizio Cavallini will continue running the kitchen at the dual restaurants for the foreseeable future.
Husband and wife Guido Nistri and Valentina Di Pietro opened Bencotto Italian Kitchen in 2010 on the base floor of the "Q" building in the heart of San Diego's Little Italy. The restaurant quickly became a popular destination for its menu of handmade, northern Italian dishes from Executive Chef and co-founder Fabrizio Cavallini. In 2012, the founders expanded their family of restaurants with the opening of Monello in the space directly next door to Bencotto, similarly created to pay tribute to the heart and soul of true Northern Italian food and lifestyle.
Bencotto and Monello are located at 750 West Fir Street in San Diego's Little Italy. For more information, visit lovebencotto.com and lovemonello.com.
