Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
DeVinci’s owner says he’ll miss the Homewood community + regular customers after closing this August
Reading time: 5 minutes

When John Day, the owner of DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant, made a post on Instagram about closing the locally-beloved spot, he didn’t expect the outpouring of support he received.
“I’m beyond astounded by the turnout. I had no idea what this place meant for some of the people in this community, and I’m very grateful for the response.”
John Day, Owner of DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant
Now, folks from all over are calling Day and the DeVinci’s staff to tell them they plan to come in for one last meal—they’ve gotten calls from California, New York, Montana, Atlanta and Gulf Shores just this week.
“We have people coming in now who, at the time, had just met. Today, they have grandkids, and their grandkids are coming in.
Sometimes we’ve had the grandparents, the parents and the children (come to eat). Some of those children themselves are having children. So it’s been a real, real treat.”
DeVinci’s last day in operation will be Saturday, Aug. 10, and while the restaurant will surely be busy up until then, Day says it hasn’t always been smooth sailing—the city is growing, and the needs of the community are changing.
Located at 2707 18th Street South, the popular Homewood spot has been surrounded by the construction and opening of several new developments in the past five years, including the Valley Hotel, Little Donkey, Edgar’s Bakery and Rodney Scott’s BBQ.
“It was just time for my family to move on. My dad’s 90, and requires a lot of help, and it takes a toll…
We’re open at 11, which means we get here at 8 in the morning. We close at 9, which means we’re here till 10. We’re open 363 days a year. It doesn’t matter if it snows, we’re open. It doesn’t matter if it rains. We’re open. Doesn’t matter if power goes out, if the ovens are on, we stay open.”
A tradition for Homewood

The restaurant opened in 1963 or 1965—according to their website, they don’t know which, and it’s “not an argument you want to get drawn into,” but Day says it was founded in 1961—by Fred Koetter, a former Navy cook who died in 2010.
DeVinci’s was once a chain with 6 locations, according to Bham Wiki, including one in Fairfield, Pelham and Glen Iris. Its current location in Homewood is the original location and has been open the longest.
Day’s family bought the restaurant in 1968, and they have been meeting—and feeding—their neighbors ever since.
The restaurant has long been a favorite spot for date nights. He recalls one couple who met at the restaurant in ‘61 and got engaged in ‘62. They couldn’t afford a vacation or anything too fancy, so they had their wedding dinner at DeVinci’s.
That couple later flew to Birmingham with their children and grandchildren to have a meal at the restaurant.
(A Bham Now colleague of mine who grew up in Homewood even told me there was a rumor that their eggplant parmesan would induce labor… Who knows how many desperate mothers-to-be ordered that dish over 60+ years?)
Community reacts + shares memories
After Bham Now shared the news of the closing announcement, supporters of DeVinci’s commented about their favorite memories of the restaurant:
“Oh man, this place is absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere is unique and the food was phenomenal. My parents took me here on a few occasions over the years. I will 100% be stopping by to show my final support before they close 💔”
@phoenix_9338 on Instagram
“I was their wine rep in the early 2000s. The owners once took a trip to Paris. I told them I had friends there who worked at @brasserieleuropeen and they went to the restaurant I told them about and found my friends and took pics with them and brought them back for me to see. This was back in the early 2000s and it meant so much to me.”
@paigey74 on Instagram
“Sorry to see it go. Pizza there is a pre-Passover tradition.”
@brookwrite on Instagram
Many folks said they’d most miss the “Mona Lisa” pizza, a signature pie from DeVinci’s with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, onions, black olives, green peppers, mushroom and double cheese—one person even said they wanted to buy enough to freeze them.
Visit one more time

You don’t have to clear out your freezer to get one last taste of DeVinci’s. Grab a meal in the cozy Italian joint and bid them farewell until Aug. 10.
- DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant: Website | Instagram | X
- Address: 2707 18th Street South
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day
Share your happy memories of DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant with us by tagging @bhamnow!