Ever since opening his restaurant in Cypress in January 2016, Jon Felicia has been looking to spread the word about Vero, which means “true” or “real” in Italian. A Cy-Fair native, Felicia opened Vero Italian Kitchen across the street from Cypress Woods High School, where he graduated in 2009. After working his way up the ranks at the Conroe location of Vero, Felicia expressed interest to founder Les Lemmons in starting a Cypress franchise.

The first year of business went very well, Felicia said. “Dinner has been a huge hit, and we’re steadily climbing in lunches,” he said. The eatery’s menu includes made-from-scratch pizzas, pastas, salads and desserts. Meatballs, sauces and bread are all made in-house, and many ingredients are imported from Italy, Felicia said.