One of Venice, California's best-known Italian restaurants is looking to plant a flag in downtown Austin. Scopa Italian Roots plans to open at 401 W. Fourth St., on the ground floor of the Republic tower, in an space that would run roughly 8,300 square feet and include a mezzanine.
The plans were first reported by the Austin Business Journal, which said the Republic will soon welcome a sizable restaurant co-owned by a celebrity chef. WhatNow followed with details on the size, schedule and cost of the project.
Construction Timeline and Price Tag Are Still Preliminary
According to WhatNow, a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing schedules construction to begin in January 2027, with completion expected by Oct. 31, 2027. The project carries an estimated cost of $1.5 million.
The report stresses that the construction dates and costs are preliminary and subject to change. The filing also does not establish an official opening date for the restaurant, so diners shouldn't pencil in a reservation just yet.
A Venice Mainstay Goes Beyond California
Scopa opened around 2013, according to Eater LA, and has a Resy profile. The restaurant describes itself as being in the coastal neighborhood of Venice, and says it operates under the culinary vision of Chef Antonia Lofaso, with a menu spanning handcrafted pasta, fresh seafood, steaks, cocktails and Italian and California wines, according to Scopa Italian Roots.
Per WhatNow, the Venice restaurant is currently Scopa's only location, which makes Austin its first expansion. WhatNow's report also says the restaurant is owned by Lofaso, Mario Guddemi and Salvatore Aurora, and lists Guddemi and Aurora as partners in Scopa Italian Roots. An earlier Eater LA piece named a different ownership team that included Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni, so the final ownership structure of the Austin venture remains unclear.
Why Austin, and Why the Republic
Russ Howard, the Caswell Commercial broker who represented Scopa in the lease deal, said Guddemi lives in Austin, which partly motivated the move, per the WhatNow report. Howard also said Scopa wanted a premier downtown location and picked the Republic.
The tower is co-developed by Lincoln Property Co., DivcoWest and Phoenix Property Co., and Lincoln Property represented the landlord in the lease, WhatNow reports. Austin-based DesignTrait Architects was selected as the design firm for the project.
Scopa would join a downtown scene that is already busy with new arrivals. Tribeza has been tracking a wave of Austin newcomers slated to open in late 2026 and early 2027.
