A new Italian restaurant has opened in Sarasota, taking over the former space of another eatery, and featuring the former owner of a Bradenton restaurant, that served the same cuisine. Bella Vita (Italian for "beautiful life") Italian Kitchen recently opened at 501 N. Beneva Road #250, in the former space of New York Slice Company and in the same plaza as Publix at Town & Country Plaza. The new restaurant is owned by Rocco Mosca, formerly of Italian restaurant Fusilly's Kitchen in downtown Bradenton.

Mosca said that a realtor had made him aware of the former New York Slice Company space. “We thought it was a great spot, with the foot traffic with being next door to Publix, and only a few miles away from Lakewood Ranch because that was a big demographic at my other restaurant," Mosca said. "A lot of Sarasota people used to always say, ‘Oh, you should come to Sarasota, come to Sarasota.’ So here we are, we’re in Sarasota.”