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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After 44 years of being a beloved community staple, Parisi’s Ristorante Italiano is closing its doors at the end of the week as the owner, Roberto Parisi, heads into his next chapter of retirement.

The restaurant, now located at 1412 S Bend Ave just across from Notre Dame’s campus, opened in 1981 after Roberto immigrated to American from Italy with his parents, Gelormo and Elvira Parisi. Roberto was just 13 years old.

Parisi’s first location was a small, 27-seat capacity restaurant located at 1709 S Bend Ave. After six years, they made the move to the current location.

“So, it’s been a dream come true, mostly for my parents, but they certainly have done a

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