Our Daily Show Interview! Sonny Asani: BACK IN CHARGE OF SANTINOS!
ALTON - Sonny Asani is returning to manage Santino’s in Alton, taking over the restaurant at 180 E. Center Drive as it undergoes remodeling ahead of a planned reopening around May 1, 2026.
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Asani discussed the change during a March 24, 2026, interview on “Our Daily Show,” saying he is “officially taking over management of Santino’s” and that the restaurant has been “doing a lot of remodeling and equipment modifications” for about two weeks. Santino’s phone number is 618-462-7791.
Asani said he previously managed a Santino’s location in Grafton before coming back to Alton to operate Santino’s there.
Asani said, “I had calls from customers while we were in Grafton to please come back to us in Alton. I wanted to come back to the city because they have been nothing but the best to me, and I wanted to do the right thing for the city again. I am going to do my best for them.”
“All I am asking for is another chance and to do the best thing I can for them,” he said. “I am coming back for the community where I have a lot of support and a lot of love. I think I need to be back here.”
Asani said the reopening is expected “between April and May, but May 1,” and that the restaurant plans a “free buffet for grand opening.”
He said customers can expect updates, including “new menus” and efforts to “make things way they used to be,” adding, “Buffets and brunches will be the same menus as before, some new things will be added to the menu.”
Asani also referenced hiring, saying, “We are also hiring and hopefully will have people apply,” and added that people can apply online.
For updates, Asani said the restaurant’s Facebook page is the best source of information, or customers can stop by Santino’s.
