Bertolucci’s Restaurant 3.0 Proposed for Cypress and Lux Development

South San Francisco, CA  August 27, 2021

NOTE: Sign up for our weekly digest HERE and stay up to date with happenings in South San Francisco.

Artist rendering shows the historic Bertolucci’s sign on the roof of the 7-story building, the ground floor restaurant will be Sodini’s.

Mama Bertolucci would be amazed at the changes, not only with her restaurant, but with South San Francisco’s downtown as more developments continue to pop up. The Bertolucci family established a boarding house in 1928 where Mama Bertolucci would cook up family style Italian favorites for the steel workers staying there. In time, Bertolucci’s became known far and wide fine family dining, and was passed onto Mama B’s son, Larry and daughter, Lola. They maintain this historical hot spot until their retirement in 2003.

As luck would have it, Peter Sodini, remembering his good memories of Bertolucci’s from earlier years when he delivered baked goods to them from his father’s bakery in Cuneo’s North Beach, was in a position to purchase this landmark. His years of owning other eateries gave him the experience to update Bertolucci’s while leaving the old style lounge feeling reminiscent with that earlier time. He brought his Golden Boy Pizza business with him as an addition to the original Italian fare. {CLICK HERE for more of Sodini history}

When the Ford dealership was replaced with a 7-story housing development, blocking the view of the historic Bertolucci’s sign, and in the midst of the business shutdowns due to the pandemic, times were ripe once again for more changes. Friends from all over were saddened to hear – Bertolucci’s closed – for good.

Just as despair was setting in on past customers, Sodini was able to work out another plan to keep Bertolucci’s in South City, a few blocks from the original location. Plans are in the works with a proposal to move to Cypress and Lux, on the bottom floor of a 99-unit housing development.

And while the original historical Bertolucci’s sign will be coming back, it appears the restaurant will be called Sodini’s, with pizza being their main fare.

What was YOUR favorite meal at Bertolucci’s?

We’ll update as more information becomes available.