The family behind Pomod’oro Pizza & Italian Restaurant in Downingtown is turning a beloved BYOB pizzeria into a two-restaurant operation, with a sprawling new full-bar trattoria taking shape inside a historic Thorndale property once used as a summer retreat by a U.S. president. Croce “Tony” Cataldo and his wife Claudia, who opened Pomod’oro in 2015, are keeping that original spot running at 200 Chestnut Street even as construction crews finish out the new venture a few miles away.
According to PHILADELPHIA.Today, the Cataldos are opening La Piazza Trattoria at the historic Thorndale Inn, a project described as an elevated Italian farmhouse experience. The family made it official in May, posting on Facebook that the new venue will include a full bar, private event spaces, and a farmhouse-inspired menu, while reassuring longtime customers that Pomod’oro itself is not closing.
A Much Bigger Footprint Than the Original BYOB
The scale of the move is hard to miss. The Thorndale Inn property at 430 Bondsville Road spans 2.5 acres and more than 8,000 square feet, and it was listed for commercial sale in late 2025 for $2.5 million after more than three decades of continuous operation, per the property listing shared on Facebook. That's a dramatic jump from Pomod’oro's current footprint, which includes a small enclosed outdoor dining area and a free parking lot that fills up quickly on busy nights, according to PHILADELPHIA.Today.
The beverage program marks another clear split between the two restaurants. Pomod’oro has always operated as BYOB, but La Piazza Trattoria will run with a full liquor license and dedicated bar service, as noted by Inquirer Chester County. Renovation work has been visible for months: commercial construction on the new bar began in mid-2026 under Schorn Construction, with crews working to preserve architectural elements of the historic inn structure even as they build out modern bar infrastructure, the Cataldos shared in a July construction update on Facebook.
A Presidential Past and a Township Landmark
The Thorndale Inn itself carries some notable history. The stone structure originally served as a 19th-century summer retreat for President James Buchanan, according to MyChesCo. The site sits along the Business Route 30 corridor in Caln Township, at the western terminus of SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail line, putting the new trattoria within direct reach of Philadelphia commuters and diners without a car.
The inn's local pedigree runs deeper than its presidential ties. Caln Township recognized it as one of the municipality's three historic taverns during a 150th-anniversary historic tavern crawl in 2018, alongside Beaver Creek Tavern and The Craft House. That civic nod underscores just how established the property already was in the community's hospitality history long before the Cataldos entered the picture.
From Sicily to Chester County
Tony Cataldo's own path to Chester County restaurant ownership started far from Pennsylvania. He grew up cooking alongside his parents, Rocco and Maria, in Carini near Palermo, Sicily, before leaving for the United States in 1980 at age 16 with little money and a clear goal: open his own restaurant, per PHILADELPHIA.Today. He got his start washing dishes at an Italian restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, before eventually moving to Pennsylvania in 1993.
That same year, Cataldo co-founded Anthony's Pizza & Italian Restaurant in Malvern with a business partner. Anthony's has since passed to new owner Anthony Natale, who renovated the space and added a full bar and wine list while keeping its traditional Sicilian recipes intact, according to County Lines Magazine. Cataldo went on to open Pomod’oro with Claudia in 2015, building the Downingtown spot's reputation on homemade pasta, seafood, chicken and veal dishes, pizzas, sandwiches, salads and appetizers.
What Keeps Regulars Coming Back to Pomod’oro
Pomod’oro's popular dishes include pasta dimare, seafood alfredo, penne alla vodka, chicken parmigiana and chicken piccata, with the restaurant's spaghetti marinara made from a fourth-generation family sauce recipe, PHILADELPHIA.Today reports. One repeat customer said of the seafood offerings, “They don't skimp on the seafood,” while another orders the pasta dimare on every visit. Reviewer Jeff Pelurie put it simply: “Every meal, every slice of pizza, and every dessert has been wonderful.”
The restaurant leans heavily into its in-house bakery and gelato program, making cakes, chocolate cake, baklava, sfogliatelle and gelato on site, and it asks diners not to bring outside pastries or celebration cakes as a result. Reviewer Lisa Rutter noted, “I have never seen such a large selection of desserts.” Diane Galligan described dining alone at Pomod’oro and “feeling like family,” a sentiment that speaks to the atmosphere most customers describe as quiet to moderately lively, though some reviewers have flagged the restaurant's prices and one reported it can feel loud and rushed during busy periods.
Pomod’oro has picked up regional recognition along the way, winning in the 2020 Best of the Main Line and Western Suburbs awards for its Italian cuisine, BYOB atmosphere and bakery items. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm, though street parking near the Chestnut Street location can require some patience during peak hours.
Open Question: When Does La Piazza Trattoria Open
With interior renovations by Schorn Construction nearing completion, the biggest remaining question for local diners is timing. Neither the Cataldos' public updates nor available reporting has pinned down a specific opening date for La Piazza Trattoria, leaving Chester County residents watching the historic Thorndale property for the next construction milestone before the full-bar trattoria welcomes its first guests.
