After three decades in a fast-changing restaurant scene, one Flower Mound staple continues to serve up the same authentic flavors that helped it stand the test of time.
Family-owned and operated, Alforno’s Italian Kitchen has been serving authentic Italian cuisine in Flower Mound for 30 years, a milestone owner Robert Petrovitch credits to consistency, adaptability, quality food and a strong connection to the community.
Since opening the restaurant in 1996, Petrovitch has watched Flower Mound grow from a town of about 10,000 residents, surrounded by pastures and livestock, into a booming suburb of nearly 82,000. While many restaurants have come and gone, Alforno’s has remained.
“The main goal of a restaurant is consistency,” said Petrovitch. “And if the food is good, customers will come back.”
And the food is good.
Alforno’s welcomes guests with soft, warm garlic bread, setting the tone for a traditional Italian dining experience. Signature dishes include chicken Alfredo topped with fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, offering a homemade taste that sets it apart from national chains.
The menu also features a sea bass special served with grilled shrimp and topped with a creamy lemon garlic butter sauce, along with fresh steamed vegetables. Guests can start their meal with thick crab cakes topped with a creamy lobster sauce or fresh salads with house-made dressings, including a tomato basil vinaigrette.
Other options include pizza, subs and a variety of wines, while dessert offerings such as cheesecake and mousse cake provide a sweet finish.
Despite his emphasis on consistency, Petrovitch said adapting to change has been key to staying in business for three decades.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Alforno’s added online ordering and delivery services. The restaurant has also weathered winter storms and temporary closures over the years.
But each time, the doors reopen to a familiar response.
“The first day we opened back, they said, ‘Thank God you guys are open,’” Petrovitch said.
Originally from Montenegro, a small country in eastern Europe, Petrovitch honed his culinary skills working as a chef in Italy before coming to the United States as a teenager in the 1970s.
“I didn’t know the language or anybody,” he said. “I couldn’t go to school and felt lonely, but got the chance to work at a restaurant.”
He later worked in New York and New Jersey before opening his own restaurant in Dallas. Today, he owns multiple restaurants across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as one in Amarillo operated by his oldest son.
When Alforno’s first opened, Petrovitch lived in Coppell, where he raised his family — many of whom have worked alongside him in the restaurant. He now lives in Flower Mound, where his youngest son graduated and continues to help at Alforno’s.
“It isn’t always easy working with family, but it’s OK,” he said. “I could write two books worth of what we’ve been through.”
Petrovitch said his influence extends beyond his own restaurants, noting that hundreds of chefs and restaurateurs across North Texas have worked for him over the years.
“You work through a lot with people,” he said. “Some accept [advice] and some think they know better than you, but that’s the industry.”
While he isn’t certain what the future holds, Petrovitch said Alforno’s will continue doing what it has done for the past 30 years — serving traditional Italian cuisine to a community that has embraced it from the start.
Alforno’s Italian Kitchen is located at 2260 Morriss Road. More information is available at alfornositaliankitchen.com. Tell them we sent you!
