Landmark Des Moines restaurant Tursi's Latin King now in hands of Kansas City restaurateur

Elle Wignall
Des Moines Register
The Latin King

Tursi's Latin King, a 73-year-old landmark Italian restaurant on Des Moines' east side, is getting a new owner for the first time since 1983.

Bob and Amy Tursi passed ownership to Whitney VinZant, a Kansas City, Missouri-based restaurateur who already owns Fresko and Louie's Wine Dive in Des Moines, on Tuesday.

Bob Tursi acquired Latin King from original owner and third cousin Jim Pigneri, who established it in 1947. Both families hail from Terravecchia, Italy. 

Tursi told the Des Moines Register this week that he and VinZant met in 2017, and he admired VinZant’s drive and management style, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic. VinZant opened Fresko in August 2020 despite the difficulties of starting a new business during a global pandemic.

It was during the thick of the health crisis that Tursi, who is 59 and has been running Latin King since he was 21, decided that it was time to think about retirement.

“With what went on with the pandemic and everything, I was like, ‘I think I’m going to try to live a little bit,’” Tursi said.

Both owners, old and new, emphasized the importance of evolution at Latin King. VinZant’s experience with the Des Moines restaurant industry dates back to April 2012 when he acquired Louie’s Wine Dive, and the acquisition of the 8,800-square-foot home of Latin King presents new opportunities for VinZant to serve the community while making needed updates to the restaurant.

“I don’t think the word here is ‘change.’ The word ‘change’ scares people,” Tursi said. “What Whit’s going to do is evolve into the future. He’s going to evolve the old-world classics to the industry today.”

Tursi's Latin King restaurant on a busy Tuesday night in Des Moines. Eric Rowley/Juice

VinZant intends to retain the current management, kitchen and wait staff but will update the restaurant's cocktail and wine menu, renovate the restrooms and add additional patio seating to the 2200 Hubbell Ave. location. He also plans to offer health insurance benefits to long-time staff members and update internal systems for a smoother operating process.

“It’s a beautiful restaurant, and I’m not talking about the sticks and stones,” VinZant, who now owns 12 restaurants, told the Register. “I’m talking about the people that work there, and the passion that Bob has really instilled in each of them to make the experience at Latin King a memorable one.”

More:Tursi's Latin King losing its namesake, but not the legacy that makes it a Des Moines east side institution

The building has been home to Des Moines restaurants for more than 90 years. Originally The Cinderella Sandwich Shop, which opened in 1930, then the Chanticleer Restaurant, it changed names and owners several times more between 1937 and 1947, when Italian immigrant Pigneri and his wife Rose saw the opportunity to bring authentic Italian fare to Des Moines.

The Pigneris sold their house so they could afford the restaurant's lease. They named it Latin King after New York City’s Latin Quarter, and that name has carried through the generations.

The current building has undergone at least two major renovations, in the 1980s and 1990s. When Jim Pigneri decided it was time to retire after 35 years of running Latin King while taking fewer than 10 vacation days, he initially handed operations over to his sons. Soon after, however, he sold the establishment to his third cousin, Tursi, who at the time was only 21.

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Now the Tursis are a household name in the Des Moines restaurant industry. Their son R.J. grew up with the restaurant, busing tables in elementary school and returning to work for his father as a sommelier after college. In middle school, he took his talents to his aunt and uncle’s south side restaurant, Barrata’s.  

Now, the younger Tursi owns Exile Brewing Company, which he started in 2012 with the help and guidance of his parents. 

“I’m really happy for my dad, and I’m really proud,” he said.

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The Tursis may be giving up ownership of Latin King, but the family’s extensive history has left a lasting imprint on Des Moines dining.

For longtime Latin King patrons, Tursi has always been a presence. His management style is hands-on, and regulars often anticipate his greeting upon arrival. During the lunch hour, he can be seen bouncing between dining rooms, the kitchen and the lobby. One might not even realize the place has been sold — which, to an extent, is the point.

“The continuation of that legacy and the continuity of its past with its future is something I’m very sensitive to,” VinZant said. “I’m going to ensure it’s there.”

For the foreseeable future, Tursi will continue to work with Latin King as a consultant. But he is confident that with time, VinZant and his team will be able to carry on the Latin King legacy and transition the restaurant into a bright future.

“They’re going to do a great job. They are forever looking for better ways to make sure the customer experience is going to be great,” Tursi said. “They’re going to keep the diamond polished.”

Elle Wignall covers dining for the Register. Reach her at ewignall@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ElleWignallDMR.