Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Villa Felice restaurant quietly says 'goodbye'

By Shari Kaplan

One of the last outposts for evenings of fine dining and classy dancing was Los Gatos' Villa Felice restaurant, located just off Winchester Boulevard on the grounds shared by a lodge of the same name.

Dining and dancing the night away have gone the way of the dinosaur, according to the restaurant's owners, and now so has Villa Felice itself.

Although the lodge will remain in operation, according to Richard "Dick" Bersano, he and brothers Ed and Don closed the restaurant on New Year's Eve, following a dinner and party that also served as a way for the Bersano family to say good-bye to the people who were more than just patrons.

"We want to thank all the lovely people who weren't just our customers but became lifelong friends over the years," Bersano said.

"It's been with mixed emotions [that we closed]. We're at retirement age and put in 48 years of business, but it's also sad to say good-bye."

Indeed, 48 years is a long time to stay in business, especially with the high turnover rates many restaurants experience in this ever-changing area. But Villa Felice didn't change much, and so became known throughout the valley for its intimate dining setting, dance floor, bars and banquet rooms--not to mention a great panoramic view.

Over the years, however, wedding receptions and other affairs involving banquets or meeting spaces declined. Some people still came to dine and dance, but not nearly as much as they did in past decades, according to Bersano. Perhaps following the adage "go while they still want you to stay," the Bersanos decided to close the Villa without a lot of fanfare.

For several months beforehand, the brothers had discussed possible closure of the restaurant, which was founded in 1950 by their father, Felix, an Italian immigrant for whom the Villa takes its name. Appropriately, the name Villa Felice also translates to "Happy House" in English. Among the most memorable times for the Villa was when the Brazilian national soccer team stayed at the lodge during the summer of 1994.

"The phones are ringing off the hook by people saying they wish they'd come here for one more dinner or dance, or to look at the view," adds Bersano, who says he and his brothers are currently looking at different options for the building, including demolition.

In mid-1997, a developer had expressed interest in building townhomes or single-family homes on the property, but no one ever followed up on those plans, according to Erwin Ordonez of the Los Gatos Planning Department. The department has no current applications for the property, he said.

Along with running the lodge, which Bersano says is less demanding than running a restaurant, he and his brothers will be enjoying their retirements, spending time with their families and pursuing their hobbies.

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