Scopazzi's

The building housing Scopazzi's restaurant has a long and interesting history.

In June of 1915, Joe Locatelli laid the foundation for a new hotel on Big Basin Highway in Boulder Creek. It first opened as a boarding house, the Italia Hotel, for use by the loggers working the surrounding hillsides.

The opening of a movie studio in Boulder Creek in the same year brought many people to the town, and the hotel prospered along with the movie business. The hotel was frequented by many of the stars of the time, including Wallace Beery, Tom Mix, Henry Fonda and Mary Pickford. **

During prohibition it became a well-known place to sample the output of the local stills.

In the early '20s the movie business wound down, but with the increasing popularity of the Big Basin State Park the Locatellis changed the emphasis to a travelers hotel. The redwood dining room was opened in 1924 and the establishment renamed Locatelli's Inn.

In 1955 the Locatellis sold the property to the Scopazzis, a family with deep roots in the Bay Area restaurant scene. While no longer offering accommodation, they added the lounge bar to the building. The restaurant was operated by the senior John 'Nono' Scopazzi.

In 1986 the restaurant business and the name were sold to the present owners, long-time chef Paul Violante and front-of-house manager Talal Janbay, who started there as a busboy.

After nearly 100 years, Scopazzi's continues to offer the finest Italian restaurant in the area, with an extensive wine list and a full lounge bar. Banquetting facilities are available for up to 200 people.