The smell of freshly made dough and hot marinara sauce on the stove fills Bella Donna’s Italian Eatery’s kitchen with scents of a home-cooked meal, and according to owner Joe Feulner, he hasn’t even started cooking yet.
“Gainesville’s a very unique city,” Feulner said. Since it opened in March, business has been going well, he said.
The New York native opened his family-style eatery intending to bring a little slice of New York-style pizzerias to Gainesville.
Feulner makes everything from scratch based on his own family recipes. He said food is like art — some people love it, and some hate it.
“Our main focus is putting out quality food,” he said.
His brother, Jeff, said Bella Donna’s combines elements of an authentic Italian eatery with a “true taste of New York style.” Nothing is frozen, he said. Everything is homemade and fresh to order.
Among the quality food at Bella Donna’s, Feulner is working on a new vegan pizza for his customers.
Vegans do not eat products that come from an animal, which made crafting a tasty pizza more of a challenge, he said.
Feulner has made special dishes for his vegan customers in the past such as vegan white pizza or vegan pasta dishes, he said, but none are on the menu.
If a customer asks for a specific dietary dish, Feulner said he will make it.
“If I have the ability to make it and taste good, I’m gonna make it,” he said.
Feulner decided to make a vegan pizza because his neighbors at Karma Cream insisted he do so.
Kyle Fick, the co-owner of Karma Cream, sampled the trial pizza.
“It was really good,” he said. Fick praised the great sauce, fresh veggies and excellent vegan cheese.
Fick enjoyed Feulner’s pizza because it was similar to other vegan pizzas he has had before. He said it was a simple and traditional pizza, but delicious nonetheless.
Feulner will add his vegan pizza to the menu once he finds a consistent vegan cheese distributor, he said. The cheese is expensive, but he knows it will please his loyal customers.
“The people of Gainesville know their food,” he said.
Feulner has gained a small cult-like following of regular customers who frequent Bella Donna’s almost every day. His wife never turns customers away, he said, even if it is past closing at 3:30 a.m.
Mohammad Towakoli, a 45-year-old Gainesville resident, has been a regular customer at Bella Donna’s since his friend took him to the new eatery. He went once for a slice of pizza and has habitually returned since. He now visits at least three or four times a week.
Towakoli likes everything about Bella Donna’s, from the food to the atmosphere.
He doesn’t care what the restaurant looks like — the people are welcoming and friendly, and the food is completely homemade, he said, so it feels like home.
Feulner commends the community support that Gainesville offers for independent restaurants, such as Leonardo’s or Satchel’s Pizza. He looks up to those restaurants, because they have made a substantial impact in Gainesville by serving quality food.
As far as Feulner’s vegan pizza goes, his motto is that he will always be willing to create something for a customer to eat, including customers with more complex diets.
“I hate seeing people walk out of here hungry,” he said.
