In Honor of Harry Katerelos: Dolce Vita closed after 47 years in Tucson

[January 31, 2026 update: Dolce Vita posted about Harry Katerelos’ passing and confirmed the restaurant is permanently closed.]

Here is a post from Tucson writer and author Rita Connelly in honor of Harry:

Harry Katerelos was the consummate front of the house guy.

For nearly 50 years Harry and his wife Irene owned and operated one of Tucson’s favorite Italian restaurants, Dolce Vita.

Irene worked her magic in the kitchen and Harry made sure guests received outstanding service out front.

Harry died last week after a short illness and the family decided to close the café permanently. After all, Dolce Vita wouldn’t be Dolce Vita without Harry (or Irene.)

Harry made every visitor to the restaurant feel special. Whether guests were first timers or long-time regulars, Harry treated them like family.

He always welcomed every guest as they walked in the door. During service, he’d visit every table and chat with guests not just because it was his job, but because he loved doing it. He wasn’t above doing work relegated to staff whether it was bringing menus to the table, opening bottles of wine, expediting and delivering food, or bussing tables.

Fellow restaurant owners considered him ‘one of the best restaurant men and is the hardest working.’

Over the decades Dolce Vita moved to various parts of town from Miracle Mile to Thornydale Road to Broadway and Kolb and to its most recent spot on Campbell and Ft. Lowell. It was always the neighborhood red sauce joint. The place you went to when you were craving comfort, fun, and good Italian food.

I found an old menu from the Broadway site. Four pages long and filled with not just Italian food but steaks and seafood, almost a dozen chicken dishes, barbecue and Greek (the Katerelos’ are Greek.) The space, as I remember it, was also huge with several rooms and huge kitchen.

The place on Campbell was small with maybe eight tables and a small patio out front: more intimate, cozier but certainly easier to work in one’s later years.

And yet whatever neighborhood they were in or whatever the size of the menu offerings, the service – and food – never faltered. That was due to Irene in the kitchen and Harry out front. Harry made every visit to the restaurant feel special.

But it isn’t just the customers who loved Harry and Irene. Employees live were deeply affected. They use words like warmth and wisdom. One former worker said ‘Harry pretended he was a grizzly bear, but he was really just a teddy bear at heart. They were both a living, breathing example of hard work, determination, and family first.’

Today’s restaurateurs would be wise to take a lesson from the Katerelos family.
Restaurants close for numerous reasons. The saddest of which is when an owner dies. But keeping Dolce Vita open without Harry would have been almost impossible. In many ways, Harry was Dolce Vita.

We’ll certainly miss Irene’s great food – she’s one of Tucson’s best chefs.      But we’ll also miss Harry’s warmth, charm, and smiling face.

Buon Appetito, Harry!

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Official Closure

Italian restaurant Dolce Vita announced its official closure after 47 years of business in Tucson.

In 2016, Dolce Vita closed its eastside location at 7895 E. Broadway Blvd. and hinted at a new location, which opened at 1800 E. Ft. Lowell Rd. #168. After a 10 year run at that location, the business has no plans to resume operations.

Owners Harry and Irene Katerelos managed to stay open through pandemic hardships, but ultimately closed due to health issues.

The restaurant posted a statement on its website and social media:

DOLCE VITA BISTRO FAMILY UPDATE

After 47 wonderful years in business in The Old Pueblo, Dolce Vita Bistro has closed its doors.

Harry is battling cancer and Irene is caring for him full time.

If you would like updates or to share a memory, please email us at dolcevitabistroaz@gmail.com

Thank you for your friendship, your patronage and for loving Dolce Vita.

It has been our honor to serve you.

For more information, email dolcevitabistroaz@gmail.com.