Touch of Italy
Authentic Italian cuisine, artisan bakery, imported specialties, unforgettable hospitality, every single visit.
A Taste of Home
At Touch of Italy, Every Guest Becomes Part of the Family
by Lily Burbage
For the team behind Touch of Italy, the restaurant has always been about more than food. It is about family, community, and bringing a piece of home to the Cape Region.
Nearly two decades ago, owner Robert “Bob” Ciprietti began the restaurant with a simple goal: to help a couple of people he knew continue their business. But when they eventually left, Touch of Italy grew into something much larger than he initially imagined.
At the heart of that growth was a desire to preserve the Italian-American culture Bob grew up with on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and bring it to Delaware.
“We took my neighborhood from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and we brought it to Delaware,” he said. “So we’re trying to preserve the Italian culture. And that’s why we did this.”
The restaurant’s roots in that culture can be felt in everything from its food to its atmosphere. Touch of Italy is designed to feel less like a formal restaurant and more like a family gathering around the table.
“It’s like going to my house for Sunday dinner,” he said.
That family-oriented approach is intentional. Children are welcome, and the restaurant has become a place where generations can gather for a meal.
The restaurant’s first full-service location opened in Lewes about 17 years ago, followed by Rehoboth Beach about 14 years ago and Ocean City roughly a year after that. Bob had been vacationing in the area from New York during the 1990s before eventually purchasing a home and deciding it was where he wanted to settle.
Although Touch of Italy has grown considerably since its beginnings, the focus has remained on doing its own thing.
“I never compare us to anybody else,” he said. “I respect everybody else, what they do, and we’re all partners in this industry. We’ve been in our own lane for a long time.”
For many guests, that experience begins with one of the restaurant’s most recognizable dishes: chicken parmesan, known for its quality, value, and generous size. It is the restaurant’s most popular menu item.
But the food is only one part of the experience. For the Touch of Italy team, the people who walk through the doors are not simply customers. They are guests, and some have become lifelong friends.
Touch of Italy owner, Robert “Bob” Ciprietti
“I can tell you 15 of them that have become lifelong best friends,” Bob said. “So, you know, the relationship we have with our guests is really important. We take it personally.”
That personal approach also means taking responsibility when something does not go right. The team encourages guests to speak up if they are unhappy so the staff can make it right.
Behind the scenes, a strong leadership team helps keep the restaurant running. Michael, who has been with the business for many years, manages the Rehoboth Beach location, while Matt serves as director of operations and oversees management teams throughout the business. Their focus is straightforward: guest satisfaction.
That commitment to people extends well beyond the restaurant’s walls. The Touch of Italy Foundation provides scholarships for young people pursuing culinary school, while the business also supports local causes including the Children’s Beach Club, Beebe Healthcare, and TidalHealth.
“The community does a lot to support us, and we try to equally support them,” Bob said.
For him, supporting the local economy is also one of the most important reasons to choose an independent restaurant over a national chain. Touch of Italy employs college students during the summer, along with young families and other local workers, and those paychecks flow back into the community.
Before entering the restaurant business, Bob spent his career in construction and had built numerous restaurants. Growing up, food had always been an important part of his family and culture, and he knew he could combine that experience with his background to create a small Italian restaurant.
“I knew I’d be able to execute a small Italian restaurant,” he said. “It was that culture growing up and that family feel that pushed me to do it.”
What he did not expect was just how much the idea would grow. Today, the business operates 12 locations under its broader umbrella, including Touch of Italy restaurants and other hospitality ventures throughout Delaware and the Eastern Shore.
Yet even with that growth, the philosophy behind the original restaurant remains. Touch of Italy is a place where guests can gather around the table with family and friends, share a genuine Italian meal, and experience a piece of the Italian-American culture that inspired the business.
“We hope every guest leaves here like they were part of our family,” Bob said.
For Touch of Italy, that is more than a tagline. It is the foundation the restaurant was built on, and the tradition it continues to serve, one meal and one guest at a time.
A Taste of Home
At Touch of Italy, Every Guest Becomes Part of the Family
by Lily Burbage
For the team behind Touch of Italy, the restaurant has always been about more than food. It is about family, community, and bringing a piece of home to the Cape Region.
Nearly two decades ago, owner Robert “Bob” Ciprietti began the restaurant with a simple goal: to help a couple of people he knew continue their business. But when they eventually left, Touch of Italy grew into something much larger than he initially imagined.
At the heart of that growth was a desire to preserve the Italian-American culture Bob grew up with on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and bring it to Delaware.
“We took my neighborhood from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and we brought it to Delaware,” he said. “So we’re trying to preserve the Italian culture. And that’s why we did this.”
The restaurant’s roots in that culture can be felt in everything from its food to its atmosphere. Touch of Italy is designed to feel less like a formal restaurant and more like a family gathering around the table.
“It’s like going to my house for Sunday dinner,” he said.
That family-oriented approach is intentional. Children are welcome, and the restaurant has become a place where generations can gather for a meal.
The restaurant’s first full-service location opened in Lewes about 17 years ago, followed by Rehoboth Beach about 14 years ago and Ocean City roughly a year after that. Bob had been vacationing in the area from New York during the 1990s before eventually purchasing a home and deciding it was where he wanted to settle.
Although Touch of Italy has grown considerably since its beginnings, the focus has remained on doing its own thing.
“I never compare us to anybody else,” he said. “I respect everybody else, what they do, and we’re all partners in this industry. We’ve been in our own lane for a long time.”
For many guests, that experience begins with one of the restaurant’s most recognizable dishes: chicken parmesan, known for its quality, value, and generous size. It is the restaurant’s most popular menu item.
But the food is only one part of the experience. For the Touch of Italy team, the people who walk through the doors are not simply customers. They are guests, and some have become lifelong friends.
Touch of Italy owner, Robert “Bob” Ciprietti
“I can tell you 15 of them that have become lifelong best friends,” Bob said. “So, you know, the relationship we have with our guests is really important. We take it personally.”
That personal approach also means taking responsibility when something does not go right. The team encourages guests to speak up if they are unhappy so the staff can make it right.
Behind the scenes, a strong leadership team helps keep the restaurant running. Michael, who has been with the business for many years, manages the Rehoboth Beach location, while Matt serves as director of operations and oversees management teams throughout the business. Their focus is straightforward: guest satisfaction.
That commitment to people extends well beyond the restaurant’s walls. The Touch of Italy Foundation provides scholarships for young people pursuing culinary school, while the business also supports local causes including the Children’s Beach Club, Beebe Healthcare, and TidalHealth.
“The community does a lot to support us, and we try to equally support them,” Bob said.
For him, supporting the local economy is also one of the most important reasons to choose an independent restaurant over a national chain. Touch of Italy employs college students during the summer, along with young families and other local workers, and those paychecks flow back into the community.
Before entering the restaurant business, Bob spent his career in construction and had built numerous restaurants. Growing up, food had always been an important part of his family and culture, and he knew he could combine that experience with his background to create a small Italian restaurant.
“I knew I’d be able to execute a small Italian restaurant,” he said. “It was that culture growing up and that family feel that pushed me to do it.”
What he did not expect was just how much the idea would grow. Today, the business operates 12 locations under its broader umbrella, including Touch of Italy restaurants and other hospitality ventures throughout Delaware and the Eastern Shore.
Yet even with that growth, the philosophy behind the original restaurant remains. Touch of Italy is a place where guests can gather around the table with family and friends, share a genuine Italian meal, and experience a piece of the Italian-American culture that inspired the business.
“We hope every guest leaves here like they were part of our family,” Bob said.
For Touch of Italy, that is more than a tagline. It is the foundation the restaurant was built on, and the tradition it continues to serve, one meal and one guest at a time.