ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Westgate flyover may have closed, but new things are opening at the Westgate Shopping Center: Ritrovo, a new pizzeria, has moved into the former Gemelli restaurant. The restaurant will celebrate its grand opening later this month.

Introducing Ritrovo

The new pizza place is another restaurant concept from the owner of Gemelli, restaurateur Anthony Cerrato. The name means “gathering place” in Italian.

The casual Italian spot marked its soft opening on July 24, and despite its quiet launch, the pizzeria has already seen substantial foot traffic, said chef de cuisine E.J. Mochrie.

E.J. Mochrie, chef de cuisine of Ritrovo.

“This past weekend was very busy. It was like as soon as we put the word out, people were flooding,” said Mochrie. “Especially with it being beside Earth Fare. We’ve got a lot of people who will place a takeout order and then go shop, and then come and pick it up on their way out.”

Mochrie explained that Cerrato wanted the pizzeria to be an affordable dining option, from pizza to pasta.

“We do our slices during the day, and we have two slices and a drink for $10,” the chef said. “All of our specialty pies are anywhere between $16 and $25, and those are 14-inch, and then our 18-inch build-your-own starts at $19 and the 14-inch starts at $15.”

Find a full menu here.

No exit? No problem

Construction from the Interstate 26 Connector project permanently closed the Westgate flyover ramp on Sunday, Aug. 2, necessitating a detour for eastbound drivers who wish to access Westgate Shopping Center.

Mochrie said that the timing of the shutdown was frustrating, but that Ritrovo will be doing what it can to help drivers find the pizzeria.

“It’s been terrible timing, but we’ve added the detour to our website,” Mochrie said. “It adds like two minutes.”

Ritrovo is located next to the Westgate Earth Fare, which has increased food traffic, Mochrie said.

Grand opening plans

The grand opening will be held across Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23 at the restaurant.

One of the two days will feature a heavy music component, in addition to giveaways from local breweries.

“Whether it’s a DJ or if we’re going to bring some music in here, we want to have one night be more centered on music,” Mochrie said.

Sunday, meanwhile, will kid-centric, with a face painter, balloon animal artist and kids menu specials.

The week after the grand opening, the pizzeria hours will expand. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thurs, the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. O Friday and Satuday, door will open at 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

For more information, visit www.ritrovoavl.com.