Friends bring dream of owning an Italian market to life in Wesley Chapel

Authentic Italian market opens in Wesley Chapel

Two friends with time on their hands during the pandemic came up with the idea to bring a slice of Italy to Pasco County and created the concept behind Moschellas.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - With a food service background and an Italian heritage, friends Bill Moschella and Anthony Spadafora took a leap of faith bringing their dream of a small-town Italian market to life.

"It started with a little wooden stand on the streets of Boston during an Italian festival," shared Moschella.

Moschella was 15 years old working that wooden stand.

More recently, he and Anthony were touring Italy and experiencing the small food markets from town to town. While it is a foodie's dream, it's also a social gathering place.

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Making the time for that dream to happen fell into their laps as the pandemic hit.

Bill Moschella and Anthony Spadafora opened Moschella's in December 2020.

"It's either stay home, or get divorced, or go do something because my wife's not used to me being home," admitted Moschella.

So, all of that experience with the authentic foods, recipes and creativity from Italy came together in the form of Moschella's Italian Market.

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"Anything Italian is under this roof," exclaimed Moschella.

A fresh Italian market atmosphere can be felt throughout Moschella's

That fresh Italian market atmosphere is in the deli. It's in the cheese section. It's in the wine selection. It's in the pasta creations. All of it is hand-made from old-world recipes or imported directly from there.

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"Our chef is born in Naples... Mama's is from Calabria (Italy) ... we call her mama…she's amazing," said Moschella with a smile.