HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Previously located at 2701 Fort Campbell Blvd., Bambinos Pizza became a part of the Hopkinsville community in 2016. However, after rent increases, the business moved to Cadiz where it thrived. The restaurant is now returning to Hopkinsville with a new location at 3022 Fort Campbell Blvd., and a grand opening scheduled for Feb. 6.
“I think that coming back to Hoptown was just a matter of time,” said Jakob Moore, the general manager for Bambinos. “Being able to come back here, being able to rejoin that community with Bambinos, I’m just very excited, very happy to be here.”
For the past two months, the restaurant has been building and training the team to provide the community with friendly customer service and made-from-scratch food. The menu is similar to the one former customers remember from its old location, however, there have been a few adjustments to the pizza that they hope adds a new level of flavor and presentation.
Soft opening success
On Jan. 30, the restaurant held a soft opening, inviting the community to preview their service and revamped menu. Moore said initially he was nervous about the soft opening. However, his fears were laid to rest due to the dedication of his staff.
“I was expecting hurdle after hurdle that we’d have to overcome,” Moore said. “Once we got into it, once we started actually making the food, bringing it out to people, it went smoother than I ever could have hoped for.”
It offered the staff an opportunity to see how they work together as a team.
“Everyone did really well,” said Kandi Napier, the front of the house manager. “We got a lot of really good feedback.”
During the event, the restaurant placed comment cards at each table for customers to provide feedback. The cards, printed with emojis and spaces to write comments were each read by the staff after the initial service. The suggestions from the community are now being integrated into the menu.
“I very much want to thank everybody who came out to our soft opening and giving us that feedback. It helped us to make our food even better than it was that night, and especially our service,” said Moore.
Staff prepares for grand opening
Nik Campanella, Kitchen Manager, praised the collaborative effort to revamp the menu and enhance the dining experience.
“We’ve done a lot to revamp our menu here,” Campanella said, “We’ve put flavors into things and the dough so it’s not like anything that’s come across Hopkinsville.”
“I’m blessed that the community came out and we’re super thankful that we got all the positive feedback that we did, and we just can’t wait to fully open and serve the community,” said Aspen Tilley, the assistant kitchen manager.
Moving forward with the suggestions from their customers, the staff is preparing for their grand opening Tuesday. Moore said that his vision for Bambinos is to become a staple in Hopkinsville, providing excellent customer service and delicious food.
“I want it to be that anytime somebody visits Hopkinsville that the first thing people tell them is that they should… they just have to visit Bambinos,” Moore said.
Once they open, Bambinos will be open for dine-in and carry-out services from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and do not offer delivery services. Reservations and questions can be made by calling them at 270-632-1628.
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