Veteran San Antonio chef Raul Mendoza has hit pause on his West Side Italian café, Alla Nonna's, less than a year after opening. In a social media message to customers, Mendoza stressed that the shutdown is a reset rather than a final goodbye, adding that he expects the concept to return within a year.
Chef With Downtown Credentials
Mendoza has cooked in San Antonio kitchens for decades and is listed as the executive chef at Paesanos on the River Walk. OpenTable identifies him in that role, a calling card he leaned on when launching his own takeout-focused venture.
Short Run on the West Side
Alla Nonna's - at 901 NW 24th St - opened in August 2025 and zeroed in on affordable, scratch-made Italian-American comfort food, including chicken piccata, spaghetti pomodoro, caprese salad and tiramisu. The operators later announced on social media that "Alla Nonnas is now closed" and thanked customers for their support. Mendoza declined to elaborate on the reset, according to CultureMap San Antonio.
Takeout Model and Local Listings
The café largely functioned as a takeout and pickup kitchen and showed up on delivery platforms during its brief run, with an online store page on Postmates for ordering and menus. Postmates lists Alla Nonnas' lineup of menu items and pickup options.
What's Next
Mendoza told CultureMap San Antonio in a direct message that he expects the concept to return within a year, and his social media note described the closure as a "reset." For now, the West Side is down one locally minded spot for scratch-made Italian while Mendoza figures out his next move.
