The Owners of Buckhead Italian Restaurant Storico Fresco Launch a Virtual Wine Shop

The owners of Buckhead Italian restaurant and market Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante launch a virtual wine shop today called Storico Vino. The online store features Italian white, red, rosé, and sparkling wines available for pickup at the Buckhead Exchange restaurant on Peachtree Road.

People can order bottles of wine online, pay in advance, and schedule a pick-up time. Curbside service is available upon request, and a home delivery option should be up and running soon.

Storico Vino has been in the works for Pietro Gianni, Stephen Peterson, and chef Michael Patrick for months prior to the pandemic. The partners still hope to open a permanent location later this year, but the health crisis delayed their plans, likely along with permitting.

Earlier in July, Gianni, Peterson, and Patrick reduced capacity in the already small dining space at Storico Fresco by 50 percent and closed the dining room at their Westside Provisions District restaurant Forza Storico. Lunch was also temporarily discontinued at Storico Fresco. Reservations are strongly encouraged and staggered to allow for less people dining at one time. Diners are required to wear masks until they are seated at their table. Both restaurants offer online ordering for takeout and curbside pickup.

The shift in dine-in service at the restaurants comes as COVID-19 cases continue surging in Georgia. An employee at Forza Storico contracted COVID-19 in early June and the restaurant shut down operations there for nearly a week to allow employees time to be tested for the virus.

While not required to close or disclose to the public when employees test positive for COVID-19, a growing list of Atlanta-area restaurants are opting to temporarily shut down to test employees and thoroughly clean.

• With COVID-19 Cases Surging, Two Atlanta Restaurants Shift How the Dining Rooms Operate [EATL]
• All Storico Fresco dining coverage [EATL]