Is Franco Di Roma Still Open? Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) Update

Franco Di Roma is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria at 357 NY-211 in Middletown, New York, run by married owners Franco and Karen. Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) featured the business in the episode "A Family Divided," which aired 2023-03-16. According to realitytvrecap.com, the restaurant faced financial strain compounded by conflict within the family: Franco resisted changing how he ran the kitchen, Karen had pulled back from the business, and the couple's son would not collaborate with either of them, leaving the restaurant in serious financial trouble.

Robert Irvine's rescue addressed the family rift alongside the physical space, working to help Franco and Karen reconnect with their original vision for the restaurant, realitytvrecap.com reported. The renovation reworked the dining room into what the site described as a rustic Italian wine-cellar style with a warm atmosphere, ahead of a relaunch service. Realitytvrecap.com reported that customers praised the thin-crust pizza, the Italian-themed decor, attentive service, and Franco's visible presence in the restaurant following the makeover, calling the turnaround a notable improvement from where the business had stood before the episode.

A Yelp listing for Franco Di Roma, updated September 2026, showed 99 reviews and an average rating of 4.2 stars, with a July 2026 review describing food served at a private party as well received and praising staff members Karen and Crystal for attentive service. The restaurant's own website, francodiroma.com, loaded normally when checked on 2026-09-08 and included a working online ordering link alongside separate takeout, catering, and banquet menus, plus a listed phone number of (845) 342-3552. Review sites described the restaurant as able to host larger events such as weddings, with a full bar and wine selection. Google Places listed the restaurant as operational at 357 NY-211, matching the address above. No source found for this update indicated the restaurant had closed, changed its name, or changed ownership since the episode aired.