Jovito's Italian Café & Deli

Waldo Italian café and deli known for meatball grinders, house pasta, and Italian comfort food; founded 2002 by the Scaglia family (Mario’s lineage), owned since 2015 by Leasa Caron and her son Alex Fiorella, and relocated to Waldo in 2020.

Description

Jovito’s Italian Café & Deli is an Italian café and deli at 7408 Wornall Road, in the heart of Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood near 75th and Wornall. The menu centers on Italian comfort fare — homemade meatball grinders (its signature item), paninis, calzones, pasta, salads, and cannoli — with a heavy carryout, delivery, and catering business alongside dine-in service.¹²³

The restaurant traces its roots to Kansas City’s deep Italian-American restaurant tradition. The original Jovito’s was part of the Scaglia family’s lineage, the family behind Mario’s, the longtime Westport Italian institution that dates to 1969.¹ The Waldo storefront occupies the former One More Cup space at 74th and Wornall.⁴

Ownership and history

Jovito’s Italian Café opened in 2002 under the Scaglia family — Mary (Scaglia) Hart and her brother Joe Scaglia ran the original location in south Kansas City, while their brother Mario owned Mario’s in Westport.¹

In 2015, Leasa Caron bought Jovito’s from Mary Hart, and the business has since been run by Caron together with her son Alex Fiorella (some coverage also names Steve Waldman as part of the operation).¹ The Fiorella family has deep Kansas City restaurant roots: Alex’s grandparents opened Smokestack BBQ in 1957.¹ In 2020, the family relocated Jovito’s to Waldo — a neighborhood where, in Fiorella’s words, the family “grew up” and has “lived here for over 20 years.”²⁴

Note: a separate “Jovito’s Italian Cafe and Bakery” operates at 12309 State Line Rd (jovitoskc.com) tied to the Mario’s family tradition; the Waldo deli at issue here uses jovitostogo.com.

Tier classification

Tier 1. Jovito’s is owner-operated by a KC-resident family — Leasa Caron and her son Alex Fiorella, longtime Waldo residents with multi-generation Kansas City restaurant roots (Smokestack BBQ, Mario’s lineage). It is independent and non-chain, and the owners’ pride in and dedication to their KC neighborhood is explicit in their own framing of the Waldo move. This squarely matches the Tier 1 criterion per the tier doctrine.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-07-24 · Source: Official online-ordering menu at jovitostogo.com/order (Menufy platform, operated by the restaurant), cross-checked against the jovitostogo.com homepage · URL(s): https://www.jovitostogo.com/order · https://www.jovitostogo.com/ · Confidence: High. Base prices captured; ”+” marks items with size/option upcharges.

Italian café and deli. Waldo, 7408 Wornall Rd. Dine-in + carryout + delivery + catering. Hours: Mon 9–2, Tue–Sat 9–7, Sun closed.³⁵ Tagline: “Meatball Grinders Bring Happiness!”⁵

Original KC Grinders — toasted Italian roll, mozzarella, tomato sauce + filling; with chips & pickle⁵

• Meatball Grinder — homemade meatball, mozzarella, tomato sauce; the house signature — $14.95+⁵
• Italian Sausage Grinder — homemade Italian sausage — $14.95+⁵
• Motorworks Meatball — meatballs, banana peppers, onion, red chili flakes — $14.95+⁵
• Combo Grinder — choice of two proteins (meatball, sausage, pepperoni) — $14.95+⁵
• Philly Cheesesteak Grinder — savory beef, sautéed onions & peppers, creamy cheese sauce — $14.95+⁵
• Pepperoni Grinder — $14.95+⁵
• Cheese Grinder — $14.95+⁵

Appetizers⁵

• Garlic Cheese Toast — fresh-baked Italian bread, garlic, herbs, mozzarella, marinara — $10.95+⁵
• Toasted Ravioli — ricotta-filled, stove-top fried, marinara (7) — $12.95+⁵
• Spiedini Strips — breaded chicken in spiedini sauce over parmesan potatoes, garlic aioli — $14.95+⁵
• Parmesan Potatoes — tater tots, Pecorino Romano, tomato-sauce dip — $10.95+⁵
• Krew’s Spicy Spuds — tots, mozzarella, buffalo sauce, parmesan-ranch dip — $10.95+⁵
• Mozzarella Sticks (7) — $10.95+⁵
• Arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls) (7) — rice, Pecorino Romano, mozzarella, breaded & fried — $10.95+⁵
• Gravy Bread — toasted roll dipped in Italian beef gravy, au jus side — $8.95+⁵
• Sicilian Olive Salad — $6.95+ · Pasta Salad — $6.95+ · Artichoke Tomato Salad — $6.95+⁵

Daily Specials⁵

• Eggplant Parmesan over Angel Hair — with salad & bread — $19.95+⁵
• Italian Beef Sandwich — provolone, au jus, red sauce, giardiniera; chips & pickle — $14.95+⁵
• Spicy Italian Sausage with Penne — with side salad & bread — $19.95+⁵
• Spicy Penne with Grilled Chicken — with side salad & bread — $19.95+⁵
• New Orleans Shrimp Po’Boy — Creole shrimp, cajun remoulade — $14.95+⁵
• Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo — $13.95+⁵
• Wimpy’s Fried Chicken — breaded chicken breast, steak sauce, pickle, onion, lettuce — $14.95+⁵

Italian Steak Sandwiches⁵

• The Tony — breaded steak, special steak sauce, pickles, onions, lettuce — $14.95+⁵
• The Sicilian — breaded steak, tomato sauce, mozzarella, provolone — $14.95+⁵

Italian Beef (Chicago-style)⁵

• Italian Beef Sandwich — $14.95+ · Italian Beef & Sausage Combo — $16.95+ · Italian Beef Pizza — $21.95+ · Italian Beef Calzone — $19.95+ · Italian Sausage & Peppers — $8.95+ · Gravy Bread — $6.95+⁵

Paninis & Grilled Sandwiches (all $13.95–$14.95+)⁵

• Eggplant Parmesan · Muffalini · Italian Sub · North End (grilled chicken, artichokes, sugo) · Chicken Parmesan · Club · Roma T. & Pesto · Chicken Pesto · Meatball · The Alessandro (breaded steak + salami) — $14.95+ (North End $13.95+)⁵

Pasta, Lasagna, and Ravioli — entrees come with Italian roll & butter⁵

• Pasta with Tomato Sauce — $13.95+ · with Meat Sauce — $14.95+ · with Meatballs — $16.95+ · with Italian Sausage — $16.95+ · Pasta Combo — $16.95+ · with Vodka Sauce — $15.95+⁵
• Lasagna (6-layer, all-cheese) with Tomato Sauce — $15.95+ · Meat Sauce — $16.95+ · Meatballs — $17.95+ · Italian Sausage — $17.95+ · Alfredo — $15.95+ · Combo — $17.95+⁵
• Fettuccini Alfredo — scratch-made daily — $15.95+ · Chicken — $16.95+ · Italian Sausage — $16.95+ · Fried Shrimp — $16.95+⁵
• Ravioli (ricotta-filled, 7 pc) with Tomato Sauce — $15.95+ · Meat Sauce — $15.95+ · Meatballs — $17.95+ · Italian Sausage — $17.95+ · Alfredo — $16.95+ · Combo — $17.95+⁵
• Pasta Trio — half-slice lasagna + 4 ravioli + penne with tomato sauce — $17.95+⁵
• Chicken Parmesan over Pasta — $16.95+ · Italian Steak Parmesan over Pasta — $16.95+⁵

Deli Sandwiches (all $14.95+)⁵

• The Vito (salami, ham, pepperoni, provolone) · Classic Ham · Roasted Turkey · Salami · Turkey & Salami · Classic Chicken · Classic Steak · Wimpy’s Fried Chicken⁵

Calzones (all $19.95+) — Sopranos-named lineup⁵

• Calzone-BYO (up to 3 ingredients) · #1 Tony Soprano (Italian beef, giardiniera) · #2 Carmella (ricotta, tomato, basil) · #3 Christopher Moltisanti · #4 Silvio Dante · #5 Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero · #6 Dr. Melfi · #7 Uncle Junior · #8 Meadow Soprano · #9 Anthony Jr. · #10 Pauly Walnuts · #11 Artie Bucco⁵

Fresh Salads⁵

• House Salad — $7.95+ · Caesar Salad — $7.95+ · Jovito’s Italian Salad — $10.95+ · Grilled Chicken Salad — $10.95+⁵

Pizzas (12-inch)⁵

• Cheese — $20.95+ · Pizza-BYO — $22.95+ · Meatball — $22.95+ · Pepperoni — $22.95+ · Pollo Bianco (chicken, Alfredo) — $22.95+ · Salsiccia Bianca (sausage, Alfredo) — $22.95+⁵

Fresh (Summertime) Specials (all $14.95+)⁵

• Roma T. & Pesto Panini · Chicken Pesto Panini · Sicilian Olive & Mozz Panini · Classic Chicken Sandwich · Artichoke Heart & Mozz Panini⁵

Mini Sandwich & Salad Combos — half sandwich + side salad + drink, all $14.95 (13 variants incl. Muffalini, Club, Italian Sub, North End, Eggplant Parm, Chicken Parm, Vito, Ham, Turkey, Salami, Turkey & Salami, Italian Beef)⁵

A La Carte, Sides & Kids⁵

• Grilled Chicken Breast — $4.95 · Side Meatball — $3.25 · Side Italian Sausage — $3.25 · Side pastas (16 oz: tomato $8.95, meat $9.95, Alfredo $9.95, chicken/sausage Alfredo $10.95, lasagna $9.95–$10.95, ravioli $9.95–$10.95) · sauces 8 oz $4.95–$5.95⁵

Catering + Large Orders (headline items)⁵

• Pasta Catering Package (pasta + salad + bread, feeds 8–10) — $150.00+ · Lasagna or Ravioli Catering Package — $165.00+ · half-pan packages $80.00–$85.00+ · full pans of pasta/lasagna/ravioli $65.00–$80.00+ · half pans $45.00–$50.00+ · Pan of Toasted Ravioli (30) — $60.00+ · Pan of Garlic Cheese Bread — $50.00+ · salad pans $45.00–$55.00+ · Cannoli pan — $45.00+ · Tiramisu Pan (12 slices) — $80.00+⁵

Desserts & Cannoli⁵

• Cannoli — chocolate-chip-dipped, ricotta filling — $4.95 · Chocolate Cannoli — $4.95 · Mini Cannoli (3) — $6.95 · Tiramisu — $6.95 · Cannoli Cake — $6.95 · New York Cheesecake — $6.95 · Chocolate Mousse Cake — $6.95 · Carrot Cake — $6.95 · Key Lime Pie — $4.95 · Chocolate Brownie — $3.95 · Chocolate Snowflake Cookies (5) — $7.95 · Chocolate Chip Cookie — $2.95⁵
• Italian Wedding Cookies (6-packs): Frosted Fig — $7.95 · Florentine — $7.95 · Pecan Sandy — $7.95⁵

Drinks⁵

• Beer — Peroni, Birra Moretti, Hamm’s, PBR, MGD — $5.00⁵
• Wine (375 ml bottles) — Josh Cellars Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Cabernet, J. Lohr Chardonnay, Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet, Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc, La Marca Prosecco — $16.95⁵
• Batched cocktails (750 ml) — Negroni — $34.95 · Espresso Martini — $34.95⁵
• Summer Spritzers — SHE CAN, Day Drinking Rosé Bubbles, Stiegl Radler — $5.00⁵
• Sodas & N/A — cans $1.99, Jarritos $2.99, San Pellegrino $2.25, teas $2.99–$3.25⁵

Italian Delicacies, Groceries & Gifts⁵

• Giardiniera Peppers (regular/spicy) — $4.95+ · Pecorino Romano — $4.95+ · Banana Peppers — $4.95+ · Artichoke Hearts — $4.95+ · house dressings (Parmesan Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Caesar) — $5.95+ · Peppers & Onions — $5.95+ · Oil & Vinegar — $4.95+⁵

Full menu + online ordering: jovitostogo.com/order. The Meatball Bar — a second Jovito’s-run concept located inside the same 7408 Wornall storefront (meatballs, arancini, made-to-order cannoli bar) — orders separately at meatballbarkc.com.⁶

---

Links

• Website: https://www.jovitostogo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jovitoskc/
• Facebook: not found
• Menu / order: https://www.jovitostogo.com/order

See also

• waldo
• Registry
• guys-deli-and-pizza
• il-lazzarone

Sources

• Status verified active 2026-06-23 via Yelp — Jovito’s Italian Café & Deli (updated June 2026) (accessed 2026-06-23). Address 7408 Wornall Rd cross-checked; phone (816) 943-9988 confirmed.

Verification

Drafted 2026-05-30 from web research; 5 sources (3 independent editorial: Waldo KC, CityLifestyle, Martin City Telegraph; plus official site + Instagram). Confirmed: Waldo address, current operation, Scaglia-family origin, 2015 purchase by Leasa Caron / Alex Fiorella, 2020 Waldo relocation, signature grinders/pasta/cannoli. Unverified/flagged: exact 2002 founding year (secondary-sourced); the relationship between this Waldo deli and the State Line “Jovito’s Italian Cafe and Bakery”. Facebook page located 2026-07-24 via the official ordering site: https://www.facebook.com/jovitoskc (resolves the earlier “no Facebook found” flag — Links section pending update).

Footnotes

1. Waldo KC (Waldo Area Business Association) — “Featured Business: Jovito’s Italian Cafe & Deli” — https://www.waldokc.org/featured-business-jovitos-italian-cafe-deli/ — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. CityLifestyle — “Welcome to the Neighborhood, Jovito’s!” — https://citylifestyle.com/articles/e5d4bb0b-3e2c-4856-973a-60daf098cdda — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩²

3. Jovito’s official site / online ordering — https://www.jovitostogo.com/ — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩²

4. Martin City Telegraph — “Jovito’s Italian Cafe will move to Waldo” (2020-08-13) — https://martincitytelegraph.com/2020/08/13/jovitos-italian-cafe-will-move-to-waldo/ — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩²

5. Jovito’s official online-ordering menu (Menufy) — https://www.jovitostogo.com/order — accessed 2026-07-24 — asserts: full menu with prices across 23 sections; hours Mon 9 AM–2 PM, Tue–Sat 9 AM–7 PM, Sun closed; “Free Appetizer on Orders of $50 or More” promo expiring 2026-09-30; “Meatball Money” rewards program; official Facebook at facebook.com/jovitoskc. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴² ↩⁴³ ↩⁴⁴ ↩⁴⁵ ↩⁴⁶ ↩⁴⁷ ↩⁴⁸ ↩⁴⁹ ↩⁵⁰ ↩⁵¹ ↩⁵² ↩⁵³ ↩⁵⁴ ↩⁵⁵ ↩⁵⁶ ↩⁵⁷ ↩⁵⁸ ↩⁵⁹ ↩⁶⁰ ↩⁶¹ ↩⁶² ↩⁶³ ↩⁶⁴ ↩⁶⁵ ↩⁶⁶ ↩⁶⁷ ↩⁶⁸

6. The Meatball Bar — official site (Menufy) — https://www.meatballbarkc.com/ — accessed 2026-07-24 — asserts: “located within Jovito’s Italian Café & Deli” at 7408 Wornall Rd; menu of meatball varieties (Nani’s Classic, arancini, Italian steak balls, pizza & spiedini balls), tiramisu, wedding cookies, made-to-order ‘Cannoli Bar’; same hours as Jovito’s; cross-links to jovitostogo.com. ↩