Taste of Italy, the Latham restaurant that became the target of months of protests after an anti-Muslim comment appeared on its Facebook page, has closed for good. La Famiglia Pizza and Pasta has taken over the space at the Shoppes at Latham Circle on Loudon Road, opening in the location on October 1.
According to the Hudson Valley Post, La Famiglia assumed the final two years of Taste of Italy's lease, a deal first detailed by the Times Union. Taste of Italy was owned by Frank and Alyssa Cappello, and its closure comes months after the restaurant endured repeated boycotts, vandalism and plummeting business following backlash over a Facebook post made from the restaurant's account.
That post appeared in late June 2026 in response to the drowning death of Harbe Nagi, a seven-year-old nonverbal autistic boy who had gone missing from Menands. The comment was anti-Muslim in nature, and Alyssa Cappello later confirmed she had written it, though she said at the time she believed she was posting from a personal account rather than the restaurant's page. The Times Union reported that her explanation shifted in the days that followed — she initially said she had mistakenly admitted to writing the post, then claimed a different, unidentified former employee had actually published it. The dossier does not resolve which version is accurate.
Protests, a Boycott and a Temporary Shutdown
The fallout was immediate and sustained. Taste of Italy closed until further notice on July 1, 2026, the same evening backlash over the post intensified, according to the Times Union. About 60 people protested directly in front of the restaurant that day, with roughly 60 more gathering elsewhere in the Shoppes at Latham Circle parking lot.
The restaurant reopened the following day, but the protests didn't stop — around 40 demonstrators returned for a third consecutive day on July 2, though the Times Union noted there were no reported altercations or arrests. The post ultimately triggered staff walkouts and calls for a boycott, and cbs6albany.com reported that the backlash included both protests and vandalism at the location. By the Cappellos' own account, the controversy cost the business a 60 percent drop in revenue.
A GoFundMe, a Second Restaurant, and an Abandoned Opening
As the business struggled, the Cappellos launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking donations both to help the family recover and to support Grazie Italian Kitchen, a second restaurant they had been developing on Northern Boulevard in Albany. The Times Union had reported the Grazie website listed a planned July 15 opening. That opening never happened as planned — protesters showed up on the scheduled opening day, and the couple ultimately abandoned the Grazie project altogether, postponing it first before scrapping it for good. The Cappellos later deleted the GoFundMe campaign.
La Famiglia Moves In, Inheriting a Rocky Welcome
Enter Ervin “Vini” Dalipaj, who owns La Famiglia Pizza on Central Avenue in Colonie, a restaurant he opened with a cousin back in 2009. Dalipaj and his manager learned the Latham space was available in mid-September 2026 after a shared food vendor told them the Cappellos were looking to exit their lease quickly. Dalipaj has said the former owner wanted out fast — and La Famiglia moved in just weeks later, purchasing Taste of Italy's furniture, fixtures and equipment for what the owners estimated was less than half the actual value of the contents.
The transition hasn't been entirely smooth. In the new restaurant's first few days, people opened La Famiglia's front door, shouted insults and left, according to the Times Union's account — a sign that some of the anger directed at the previous tenant has lingered even after ownership changed hands. The old Taste of Italy sign still hangs on the building's exterior, which Dalipaj has said is because he couldn't apply for a removal permit before signing the lease; La Famiglia has ordered a banner to cover it in the meantime.
Despite the rocky start, Dalipaj has struck an optimistic and inclusive tone about the new location. He's said that everyone is welcome at the restaurant, and that La Famiglia's lower prices and better food will win back customers who may be wary of the space's recent history. He's also said his pizzas are simply better than what was previously served there. The location has the option to renew its lease for two additional five-year terms, according to the Times Union, suggesting Dalipaj is betting on a long run in the space Taste of Italy once called home.
