Austin Restaurateur Opens New Italian-American Restaurant Panciuto in Hyde Park

The founder of a popular Austin burger joint debuted a new Italian restaurant in Hyde Park today, September 15 — right in the same place as Umarell, where he was formerly a partner. Mo Pittle, founder of JewBoy Burgers, has reopened the space at 4413 Guadalupe St. as Panciuto.

Umarell was a project by Chef Mike Graffeo, who had former experience in the locally dominant Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group. The restaurant did not post a closing announcement. In a statement emailed to CultureMap, a spokesperson says, “Umarell didn’t close so much as change hands.” Umarell opened in February of 2026; before that, the space belonged to Wok ‘N Express.

According to the statement, Pittle and Graffeo stopped working together because their visions for the restaurant didn’t align. The statement only includes Pittle’s vision, which was to give Hyde Park “a true Italian-American neighborhood spot that works for families as well,” which was ultimately the foundation for Panciuto.

(Though the statement does not mention this, Pittle is from El Paso and Graffeo is from New Jersey, which could reasonably lead to different ideas of “true Italian-American.” However, Pittle did live on the Italian-heavy East Coast.)

Moving closer to Pittle’s vision means new menu items like spaghetti and meatballs, larger portion sizes, and lower prices. He hopes it will become a weekly gathering place. Panciuto means “pot-bellied,” confirming the intent to send customers home full and “happy,” per a press release.

“I’m the oldest of five children, every meal was a big meal,” Pittle said in the release. “When I was living on the East Coast, I met so many folks from Italian families with similar stories. Panciuto is my way of celebrating the way food brings people together.”

The menu includes eight antipasti and salad dishes, five hoagies (sub sandwiches), and ten pastas and classics. Specific items include Marry Me Chicken, shrimp scampi, baked ziti bolognese, 14-layer vegetarian lasagna, focaccia pizza, and a few different parmesan sandwiches. Vegetarian dishes, like a veggie lasagna and zucchini fries, will also be available. All dishes will be less than $26, the release says.

Desserts are as straightforward as the rest of the menu: tiramisu, cannoli, cheesecake, gelato, and affogato. For now, the beverage list is limited to beer and wine, but Panciuto will have a full bar by the end of 2026.

Pittle attended the University of Texas at Austin in the ’90s, the release says, and he finds that the Hyde Park neighborhood has kept its character over the years. The restaurant nods to the Wok ‘N Express with its “C-Store & Take-Out” neon sign, and the walls display prints by local artists. A new checkered floor finishes up the transformation.

Panciuto’s hours of operation are 11 am to 9 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays; and 11 am to 10 pm Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed Mondays.