SLO County News BlogGolf, Wine, Real Estate, Business & Travel News'Hulk' is backing new SLO restaurantSaturday, December 11, 2004A new Italian restaurant is on its way to San Luis Obispo, courtesy of longtime restaurateur Jim Delmore, businessman Dave Watson and celebrity Lou Ferrigno.Delmore, owner of Jimmy Bump's Pasta House in Los Osos, is pairing up with Ferrigno, who played the muscle-bound super hero of "The Incredible Hulk" TV series, and Watson, a Santa Maria businessman, to open Italiano Pronto next spring. The restaurant will feature "fast casual" Italian dining, Delmore said. Guests will order their food at a counter, and then wait for dinner at a table. His wife, Linda Delmore, plans to decorate the restaurant in a Tuscan style. "Right now, we're in the final stages of setting up the financing end and selecting a location," he said. "We're looking over in the Foothill area and on Broad Street. Downtown would be nice, but we just don't see that happening, especially with Giuseppe's on the block in the Copelands' (Court Street) project." The plan is to eventually open 10 pasta restaurants, and then sell franchises, Delmore said. But Delmore admits that he wasn't particularly excited about starting another restaurant. A new place would have to be special, he said, and he wanted to associate a well-known Italian face with the eatery. Delmore asked Ferrigno, who lives on the Central Coast, if he would be interested in the new enterprise. Ferrigno, a regular customer at Del's Pizzeria, the Pismo Beach restaurant formerly owned by Delmore, said yes. "He's going to do all the commercials and anything promotional," he said. 'Hulk' is backing new SLO restaurant Julie Lynem, The Tribune Coming Soon to SLO: Coastal Concierge - Your connection to the best San Luis Obispo County has to offer. Read More
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