In Business: ‘Chow Time’ at Ciao Thyme Woodfire Kitchen in Little Falls

Italian restaurants are some of the most popular eateries around the country. And now, one of central Minnesota’s newest Italian restaurants is Ciao Thyme Woodfire Kitchen in Little Falls.

Opening last November, Ciao Thyme was made from the visions of Phil and Susy Prosapio. The couple wanted to open the restaurant alongside the Falls Theatre after renovating the Little Falls landmark.

“We’ve lived in Little Falls now for 33 years, and we’ve always thought there is room here for another nice restaurant,” Phil Prosapio said. “So when we purchased the theater, the building that we’re in right now is just attached to it and was empty as well. So when we renovated it, we decided to put in an Italian-American restaurant.”

Italian culture and food go hand in hand. Scotty Stocco, the executive chef at Ciao Thyme, wanted to make sure that he served food that did his heritage justice.

“Our meatballs and our red sauce, like, those are things that I learned from a very young age,” stated Stocco. “Walking into my aunts and uncles or grandpa’s house and smelling that sauce brewing on Christmas afternoon – like, that’s what I kind of wanted here. So every time we make a batch of meatballs or red sauce, I get to have a little taste of that.”

The menu changes quarterly at Ciao Thyme and is relatively small. But in Chef Scotty’s eyes, a small and simple menu provides an opportunity to hone in on a kitchen’s strengths.

“The smaller you keep it, the more you can really dial in on what you’re offering,” Scotto explained. “Because if you have it too big, you just spread yourself too thin.”

The Prosapios’ goal with renovating the Falls Theatre and opening Ciao Thyme was not to make money hand over fist, but to help revitalize downtown Little Falls.

“You come here on a Friday night and the art center is busy and the restaurant across the street is busy and the bars are busy, etc. So people are starting to say, ‘Little Falls has got some things to do,'” added Phil Prosapio. “So come on downtown and now you have different options. You can spend an evening here and go to a movie or go to a concert and go to restaurants. So it’s been good for the community.”

Ciao Thyme is open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 4-9 PM. Last Saturday, the restaurant also began opening for lunch, which is served between 11 AM to 2:30 PM on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.