Little Mama’s Set to Open on Sept. 7

The long awaited opening of Frank Scibelli’s Italian concept in Cornelius is finally upon us.

Little Mama’s Italian will open its third location Sept. 7, bringing Italian-American classics, scratch-made pasta and brick oven pizza to Lake Norman.

The restaurant, part of Charlotte-based FS Food Group, is located at 9623 Bailey Road, Suite 100. Little Mama’s was recommended by Michelin in 2025.

The 4,300-square-foot restaurant has 140 seats, with a dining room, bar and sunroom. The space is designed for family meals, date nights and larger gatherings.

Little Mama’s was launched as a sister restaurant to Mama Ricotta’s and draws inspiration from the Italian-American restaurants of the 1960s and ’70s. The concept was created by noted restaurateur Frank Scibelli, who said the menu is rooted in the Italian-American food he grew up eating in New England.

“These are the foods I grew up with and love to share — classic Italian-American dishes, made from scratch and served with genuine hospitality,” Scibelli said. “We cannot wait to bring that tradition to Cornelius and Lake Norman.”

The menu will feature a brick oven pizza program modeled after the Little Mama’s location at Rea Farms, with traditional and specialty pizzas.

It will also include the Mozzarella Presentation, Penne alla Vodka, lasagna, giant homemade prime beef meatballs with spaghetti and chicken Parmesan. The restaurant also will offer a selection of wines and craft cocktails.

The Cornelius restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.