VV The Italian Experience has officially touched down at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, opening its second location on Thursday and giving hungry travelers a homegrown Italian option before takeoff. The Mount Lookout-born café moved into the former Regina’s Italian Kitchen space in Concourse B near Gate B17, hosting a grand-opening event around 4 p.m. The new outpost will serve passengers throughout the day with pasta, pastries and Italian-style handhelds, bringing a small-town Puglian recipe book to the terminal as a local alternative to chain airport food.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, owners Melissa De Giorgi and Andrea Stefano were on hand for the airport debut and plan for the CVG spot to closely mirror the menu at their Mount Lookout café. A CVG press release notes that the new location is operated by SSP America and occupies the Concourse B space near Gate B17 that previously housed Regina’s Italian Kitchen. The same release reports that the airport handled 9.2 million travelers in 2024, a number CVG is using to justify a bigger push for local food brands in its concourses.
What travelers can expect
The Concourse B menu will feature piadina, pasta Bolognese and pasta alla Genovese, along with pastries and coffee, per the Moodie Davitt Report. With SSP America running the operation, the concept is designed to balance quick service for tight connections with the neighborhood restaurant’s recipes, offering breakfast through dinner coverage. The airport build-out aims to capture the feel of the Mount Lookout café while staying practical for customers to grab something on the way to their gate.
From Mount Lookout to the concourse
VV opened its first café on Mount Lookout Square in 2023 and traces its roots to a family bakery in Casamassella, Puglia, according to the restaurant’s website. “From our grandfather’s roots in Puglia to our kitchen in Cincinnati, every dish we serve is infused with authenticity, heritage and a love of bringing people together around the table,” Andrea Stefano said in a CVG press release. The owners say the airport location is their way of introducing more travelers to regional Puglian specialties that started in a small Italian town and now sit just off an airport concourse.
Why CVG is adding local spots
Airport operators have been leaning into regional concepts to upgrade the passenger experience, and local coverage has framed VV as a natural fit for that strategy; WLWT highlighted the plan in a preview when the deal was first announced. For travelers, it means the option to sit down with something that feels like neighborhood dining before a flight instead of defaulting to a national chain. Locals who prefer the original setting can still head to the Mount Lookout location at 1026 Delta Ave.
VV’s move into Concourse B is the latest example of Greater Cincinnati eateries expanding into CVG as the airport courts more local flavor for people passing through. The new spot will be open all day and is positioned to catch both last-minute meals for departing passengers and quick stops for those just arriving in the terminal.
