There’s a good chance that when you walk into Austin’s new Italian restaurant, Bella Victoria, you might get a hug from Mario Victoria, whose smile and demeanor speak of good will and good food.“Every single customer we had yesterday, they told us how glad they were that we were here,” he said, smiling.

The restaurant, just south of Riverside Arena on Fourth Street Southeast and the former site of the 1910 restaurant, opened Thursday. Mario Victoria and his wife, Magdalena (who Mario says is the “Bella” in the name), operate the establishment with chef Carlos Victoria, Mario’s brother, and Carlos’ son, Fernando. They hail most recently from Rochester.