Matthews’ newest spot is part market, part wine bar — and all Italian
If you can’t get to Napoli or Palermo in time for dinner, Enzo’s Italian Market & Osteria may be the next best thing.
The gourmet Italian market is now open in downtown Matthews with an expanded retail shop. It will also soon include multiple marketside dining options. At 9,000 square feet, the new Enzo’s is more than six times bigger than the original Stallings location and twice the size of the shop in Lancaster, which opened in 2024.
The new location is one of about a dozen new businesses recently opened or coming soon to the Matthews area.
“Matthews is on the move,” said Enzo’s Italian Market owner Greg Tigani.
The market can accommodate pretty much any Italian food craving, offering everything from antipasto to Zeppole di San Giuseppe (a seasonal specialty dessert).
“We really have three new twists in this market,” Tigani said.
The new Matthews location includes an osteria (or tavern), a cafe and an enoteca (wine bar), all slated to open later this week. Tigani said he was inspired by New York City’s Eataly, a concept that includes an Italian food market, multiple restaurants and events.
“We want people to have an experience, not a transaction,” said Tigani, pointing out the new shop’s awning, with the motto: Eat • Shop • Learn • Italian Food & Wine.
“That’s what we’re about here,” he said.
Streamlining operations to expand offerings
Tigani, a self-described “foodie” with a background in finance, took over the business from founder and good friend Enzo LoRe in 2022. Tigani adopted LoRe’s original recipes but he also expanded the vision and operations for the market.
LoRe, a Sicilian immigrant, had spent most of his life working as a butcher in New York City and running a shop there before relocating to the Charlotte area. He came here to retire, but demand for a NY-style Italian market from other transplants enticed him to open the Stallings store in 2009. He ran the business until he became terminally ill in late 2021.
LoRe used to make everything in-house, closing the shop on Sundays so he could prepare that week’s food. He’d work that day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. or later, Tigani said.
“What that meant though, is come Wednesday, if he had made, let’s say a tray of meatballs and they were gone, they were gone until next week.”
Tigani has centralized food preparation in an off-site kitchen and contracted with a bakery to more efficiently meet demand at the three stores. He said with three locations, they can also buy directly from importers, streamlining that aspect of the business, as well.
What to expect in the new Matthews location
Tigani said when guests arrive, associates will greet them and if they are first-time visitors, introduce them to the different components of the market to help them find what they are looking for.
The osteria will feature a full service menu for lunch and dinner dining, with regional specials changing a couple of times per month.
“It’s fine dining cuisine, but it’s a casual atmosphere,” said Tigani, adding that the menu will also include items available for purchase in the market, along with recipe cards to take home. Most of the osteria’s seating is located on a temperature-controlled patio, with 12 additional places at a bar, located within the market.
The new cafe will focus on lunch options, including soups, salads, sandwiches and pizza.
Espresso and other coffee drinks, Italian sodas, tea and gelato will also be available in the cafe.
In the enoteca, shoppers will be able to enjoy a large selection of Italian wines along with antipasti and small plates. Tigani has invested in a high tech dispenser for preserving the wine and serving customers who order by the glass.
He said the enoteca will also feature information, education, wine tastings and pairings led by a knowledgeable wine steward. For convenience, the market’s full retail wine section is located right next to the enoteca.
Here’s what else you’ll find inside Enzo’s Italian Market & Osteria:
- An expanded butcher counter featuring fresh cuts like certified Angus beef, middle cuts like ribeye and strip steaks
- A self-serve station that enables shoppers to quickly browse and select pre-packaged popular made-from-scratch items like hot and sweet Italian sausage and New York-style pinwheel sausage
- Patisserie and bakery with desserts, individual pastries and full cakes. The shop also carries freshly baked semolina bread in a variety of flavors, including three cheese, olive, Italian garlic and others.
- Tomatoes, herbs, onions and other basic produce items that are used in many Italian recipes.
- Frozen take-and-bake items with more than 20 options. “Those things just fly off the shelf,” Tigani said. Expect lasagna, a variety of stuffed ravioli, dishes like chicken marsala, eggplant Parmesan and pastas like gnocchi and tagliatelle.
- Olive oils, cheese, olives, sauces, spreads, Italian wine, beer, soda and a humidor with cigars.
There may be more to come in Matthews, as well. Tigani said his lease includes the option to expand the space to add a trattoria, but that’s not on the menu for 2026.
Enzo’s Italian Market & Osteria
Location: 130 Matthews Station St, Matthews, NC 28105
Cuisine: Italian
Instagram: @enzos.italian.market
This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
