Sortino's moving to Kalahari

HURON TWP. — The Sortino family is expanding its relationship with Kalahari Resorts. The Sortinos have operated an Italian restaurant in Sandusky in some form or another for more than 40 years. But the family will soon move its restaurant out of city limits as it partners with Kalahari Resorts. Sortino's Little Italy on Cleveland Road will close and reopen as Sortino's Italian Kitchen at the Kalahari Resort and Indoor Water Park off of Milan Road. "Our family has shared our love of Sicilian cuisine with guests for 46 years, so closing the original restaurant is the end of an era for us," said George Sortino, Sortino's Little Italy owner. "We're glad Kalahari will continue to offer our recipes to our Sandusky customers, as well as resort guests." "We're honored to continue their legacy and support another family-owned business in the Sandusky community," added Todd Nelson, the owner of Kalahari Resorts, which has locations in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Sortino family are longtime friends of Nelson, which led to the Sortino's Italian Kitchen in the Kalahari at Pocono Mountain, Pennsylvania, in 2017. Nelson said the restaurant was a huge success, which led them to include Sortino's at its newest resort at Round Rock, Texas, which opens in November. George's son, Mike, said they wanted to open a restaurant at the Sandusky Kalahari as well, but not while the other restaurant was still open. "We reached a deal to move our restaurant there, and it's a big opportunity for us," Mike said. "We are still in the neighborhood to serve all the customers who came to us for years." The current Sortino restaurant's closure will coincide with the completion of the new restaurant space in Kalahari. Mike expects the renovation work to be completed by late fall or winter. Sortino History The Sortino family immigrated to Sandusky from Modica, Sicily, in 1952, bringing with them authentic Italian cuisine. George and his brother, James, opened the current restaurant in 1974. In 1991, they purchased the Erie County Children Home's building. They turned the former orphanage on Sycamore Line into Sortino's Little Italy. Once the restaurant moves to Kalahari, Mike said they would like to reinvest in the historic building. "We don't know what the future holds and don't have any immediate plans," Mike said. "But it's a beautiful building with potential."