Divo Diva, a European-style coffee shop and wine bar, is planning to open a second location in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood at 750 W Fir Street, Suite 105.
The company, owned by professional opera singers Victoria Robertson and Rosario Monetti, recently submitted documents to the San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality for the new location, which will open in the former home of Influx Cafe. Robertson tells What Now San Diego the cafe is targeting a soft opening as close to the beginning of August 2026 as possible, with an official grand opening planned for September. Customers can expect the new location to feature a cafe, bakery, and dessert section, along with grab-and-go food options designed for the neighborhood.
Divo Diva currently operates its first location at 3650 Fifth Avenue in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood. The cafe combines coffee, food, wine, and live entertainment, with a concept built around European cafe culture and hospitality. Robertson says opening a second location was not originally part of the plan, but Little Italy was “impossible to refuse,” adding that the owners are excited to welcome both local customers and tourists.
The owners founded Divo Diva around their backgrounds as professional opera singers and their shared interest in coffee, food, and performance. Robertson and Monetti also host ticketed opera dinner shows featuring live performances alongside Italian food and wine. Robertson says Little Italy always felt like a natural fit because of the owners’ European backgrounds, Monetti’s roots in Naples, Italy, and the company’s focus on Italian coffee, food, and opera. She also noted that the team had been working with the owners of Influx Cafe for about three years before securing the space.
The menu at Divo Diva includes Italian coffee, freshly baked pastries, croissants, avocado toast, acai bowls, paninis, pizzas, bruschettas, charcuterie boards, and a selection of wines and beers. The Little Italy location will continue to offer the same coffee, food, and service as Hillcrest while placing greater emphasis on fresh pastries, desserts, and casual Italian street food that customers can easily enjoy on the outdoor patio or take to the nearby Piazza della Famiglia.
Robertson brings a background in opera performance, media production, and entrepreneurship, while Monetti has decades of experience as a tenor and restaurateur. Before opening Divo Diva, Monetti owned Zenith Cafe in Naples, Italy, and later bought The Meshuggah Shack in San Diego’s Mission Hills neighborhood, which he still owns.
This will be an excellent landing space for Divo Diva Cafe, considering Little Italy’s mix of restaurants, cafes, residential buildings, and steady pedestrian traffic. Robertson says the neighborhood’s active walking community and strong evening foot traffic make it an ideal fit for the concept. She also confirmed the company will continue to operate its Hillcrest location and host its Opera Dinner Shows there, adding that expanding into Little Italy has been a dream since 2020.
For the Little Italy location, Robertson and Monetti have also partnered with Mauro Tomasino and Daniel Sanchez Bravo, whose years of experience in San Diego’s Italian restaurant community bring valuable expertise, talent, and passion to the new cafe.
