South Ashland Giovanni's under new leadership; dining room reopens to the public

Austin Johnson, The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky.
Updated ·2 min read

ASHLAND The South Ashland Giovanni’s has reopened the dining room doors after being shuttered for multiple years.

Giovanni’s at 2819 Blackburn Ave. had a grand reopening celebration Saturday, May 11, marking a new beginning for the new owners. Since COVID the doors have been closed to the public and didn’t open back up until this year. The four owners are Amy Knipp, Kim Phillips, Matt and Alyssa Blevins.

Matt Blevins, one of the four co-owners, said after replacing flooring, painting the walls and basic updates, the dining room is now open for business

“Since COVID, the dining room just completely stopped. We are just glad to be back part of the community. It’s been absent for four years and we got a lot of people that used to do meetings here and class reunions,” he said.

“It’s right in the heart of the community; it’s right in the center of Ashland,” Blevins added.

The team of four owners came together through personal and work relationships. All shared a common goal of restoring a beloved pizza place in Ashland, Knipp said.

“We were looking to do our own thing on top of our regular day jobs. The opportunity arose and we just ran with it,” she said.

The owners unanimously agreed they strive for individuals to know them for their commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and the commitment to the community.

“When this fell into our laps it was a no-brainer because it used to be a staple in the community. Everybody came here and our goal was to get it back to that,” Phillips said.

Alyssa Blevins expressed how important it was to get the place restored.

“It doesn’t matter if they are 25 or 55, everyone remembers walking to this Giovanni’s and eating there before or after a home (Ashland) football game,” Alyssa Blevins said. “One guy hasn’t had Giovanni’s since the ‘70s, but this was the one he always ate at and he was in from Florida and just so happened to be open when he came.

“This location became a dream for all of us because it’s special to all of us; this was the staple location for all of us growing up,” she said. “... It’s just sentimental for people, it’s a staple,” she said.

Hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.