Italia Gardens

Italia Gardens, the first Italian restaurant in the city of Flint, Michigan, was established in 1931 during the depression, by Albert and Josephine Barone. It was located at 2206 North Saginaw Street. The restaurant slowly built up trade as families and nearby Buick office workers came to dine on heaps of spaghetti and meatballs. Barone retired in 1964. Don Haley, his Irish son-in-law, and his wife Enza assumed the business. The original restaurant was then moved to 517 Detroit Street. In 1976, the Haleys purchased Cromers Restaurant, which had originally been the home of Oakland-Pontiac Auto Dealership in Carriage Town. In 1985, the historical building was sold to make room for a parking structure for the Metropolitan Building and Durant Hotel. Italia Gardens moved to the corner of Court Street and Grand Traverse Street in 1985 and operated at that location until 1998, and then relocated to Miller at I-75. In 1994, to keep pace with our growing customer base, a second location on M-15 in Davison joined the original Italia Gardens. In 2008, Italia Gardens opened its newest location in Oxford.