At age 7, Anthony Salvatore used to stand on top of tomato cases. This allowed him to peer over the edge of his father’s countertop and make his first pizzas. Thousands of pizzas and almost 30 years later, Salvatore, 35, no longer needs a boost. At Mangia Bene, one of the oldest and only authentic Italian restaurants in Cape Coral, the pizza pies are still flying from the hands of Salvatore, who is poised to take over the family business.

But Anthony and his younger brother Stephen will have to wait. Their parents, Cape Coral residents Teresa and Peter Salvatore, still open and close the restaurant at 2301 Del Prado Blvd. in the Coralwood Center near the Midpoint Bridge.