This week in 417 foodie news, a longtime Italian restaurant closes its doors, Springfield gets a new place for poké and the community gears up for its annual Buffalo wing festival.
Nixa Italian restaurant closes after decade in business
On Oct. 18, owner Steve D'Arpino announced that his restaurant Piccolo, 107 Aldersgate Drive in Nixa, has closed after 10 years in business.
The closure comes less than a year after the restaurant re-opened for New Year's Eve 2025. Prior to that, it had been closed for six months to repair damage caused by a June 2025 accident where an SUV drove through the restaurant's back office and dish room. According to D'Arpino, the restaurant has to vacate the location within the next two weeks and on Nov. 1, a new restaurant will take its place.
While D'Arpino tried to keep
the restaurant afloat after losing his parents and his wife, according to his post, the accident seems to have been breaking point. Obituaries from Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield indicate that D'Arpino's parents and wife died within three years of each other, from 2021 to 2024.
"If you would like to know what marked the turning point for the restaurant, without a doubt, it was the accident a year ago," D'Arpino wrote. "The stress of being closed for so long, along with the financial mess caused by dealing with insurance, created an obstacle we ultimately weren’t able to overcome."
He also wrote that he is not sure whether Piccolo will re-open somewhere else, or whether he would be involved in it. D'Arpino's own future in the restaurant industry is also unclear.
"I’ve put everything I had — mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially — into Piccolo for the past 10 years. I really don’t have anything left, especially financially, so I’m going to take a step back and try to regroup for a while. I don’t know if I’ll have the same fire to open another restaurant that I had 10 years ago," D'Arpino wrote.
Steve D'Arpino and his wife, Cassie, opened Piccolo as a "spin-off" of D'Arpino's parents' Springfield restaurant D'Arpino's Italian Cafe in 2016, according to past News-Leader reporting. Mary Ann and Mark D'Arpino closed their cafe in 2018 due to health problems, after 13 years in business.
Poké restaurant makes Midwest debut in Springfield
Island Fin Poké has opened its first Midwest location and its first location in a grocery store inside a Springfield Price Cutter, 3260 E. Battlefield Road. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and offers online ordering as well as catering.
“We’re so grateful to the Springfield community for welcoming us with open arms as we celebrate this exciting milestone for Island Fin,” said Mark Setterington, CEO of Island Fin Poké Co, in a news release. “Bringing Island Fin to the Midwest for the first time is a big deal for us, and getting to do it inside a grocery store makes it even more exciting. We can’t wait for local residents to enjoy fresh, flavorful food that fits into their busy lives without sacrificing quality or nutrition.”
The Florida-headquartered franchise serves up Hawaiian-style poké bowls. Island Fin Poké's bowls combine proteins — including raw ahi tuna, raw Choho salmon, grilled chicken, tofu or Spam — with vegetables, house-made marinades, toppings like pineapple-mango salsa and kimchi, and serves it over rice or greens.
Island Fin Poké expands the store's food and drink offerings, which include Starbucks, the deli and a bar.
Springfield readies for another day of slinging wings at Wingapalooza
Wingapalooza, the annual Buffalo wing festival that benefits area children's organizations, is coming up quickly. It will celebrate its 26th year on Nov. 7 at the Springfield Expo Center, 635 E. St. Louis St.
More than 40 of southwest Missouri's "wing-slinging" restaurants and corporate teams will serve up 100,000 wings in an effort to win a title, according to the website, and to help area children. This year's competing restaurants include Springfield Brewing Company, Bada Bing Wing Company, Mama G's Kitchen, and Krab Kingz.
Despite their name, Krab Kingz is the winningest restaurant in juried categories since they began competing in 2023. They have taken home the judge's choice title for three consecutive years and have also won the juried categories of "Best Traditional Wings" (2025), "Best Barbecue Wings" (2025), "Best Exotic Wings" (2025, 2023), "Best Hot Wings" (2025, 2024), and "Best Boneless Wings" (2024, 2023).
In addition to free wing samples, guests can participate in a wing-eating contest, participate in chicken bingo and raffles, and enjoy live music. There are also pre-event activities taking place on Nov. 6, such as a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament and a western saloon party.
Tickets are available online at wingapalooza.com as well as at Hy-Vee and Rapid Robert's locations. Online, tickets are $25 for general admission, and will be $30 day-of at the door. Wing samples are free with paid admission.
Susan Szuch writes about health as well as local food and drink for the Springfield News-Leader. If you have feedback or story ideas, you can reach her at sszuch@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Nixa restaurant closes after decade; poké spot opens in Price Cutter
