This month, as Fiori Italian Restaurant & Bar in Clayton celebrates its first anniversary, I sat down with owner Orlando Marin to discuss the beginnings of Fiori, why you should absolutely give it a try if you haven’t yet, and what’s around the corner in year two!
I love Italian food. That’s probably something important to know about me. I’ve had it in Italy, in London and Paris, and in San Francisco. In big cities and small towns all over the world. I don’t consider myself a snob or a connoisseur; it doesn’t have to be fancy or pricy. I just love Italian food. Sit-down or to-go. It’s my favorite type of cuisine. And there wasn’t a lot of it in JoCo growing up here. But that is changing.
I told Orlando this when we first met. He also loves Italian food, “I am from Belize. I lived in Colombia and then moved to New York. I’m not Italian, but I love the food, and so I learned how to cook it.”
Orlando has a New York restaurant background; his success story, like many in the hospitality industry, starts at the bottom. He began as a dishwasher and worked his way up to being a General Manager, opening manager for new locations, and then Area Director in the New York metro area.
He eventually invested and opened his own restaurant in Long Island, but as Orlando explained, he knew he wanted a change from the pace of New York. North Carolina had been on his mind for years, and although a few opportunities nearly worked out, he waited until the whole family was ready to relocate. When someone suggested Clayton, everything clicked — and in 2019, three generations of the Marin family made the move from Long Island to Flowers Plantation.
“I linked up with the Don Betos guys and helped them get their Flowers location off the ground. But I noticed a lack of quality sit-down Italian places in the area, outside of Raleigh. When the space across from Don Betos opened up, my partner Marcos jumped at the opportunity.”
To Fiori, Orlando brought not just his love of Italian food, but also his restaurant expertise - development, design, staffing, menu selection, and everything in between. Having worked nearly every job in the industry, starting in the dish pit, he understands how each role shapes the guest’s experience. That background shows in the way Fiori runs today: thoughtful, intentional, and grounded in the belief that every detail matters.
And Orlando has a reputation that followed him down the eastern coast, “I owned and operated a pizzeria at one time on Long Island. There are a number of families that have come to Fiori who used to frequent that pizzeria and have come to dine with me here in Clayton.
We have had a great response from the community - regulars from both JoCo and the region come to Fiori’s, said Orlando, “They find us off of I-95 somehow; we work with the area hotels now to make sure they know about us over here in Flowers.”
Beyond Johnston County, they also have regulars from places like Wendell and Wake Forest. Fiori is also as much a part of the community it is in, as the community it creates out of its customers, and Orlando believes in giving back, “We are big on community. The community made up of our patrons and the community we are a part of in Johnston County.”
Throughout the year they have been open, Orlando has worked to give support and resources through Fiori to efforts with the schools in the area, as well as organizations like First in Families and Toys for Tots.
Even the interior of the restaurant, designed by Orlando, has small homages to the community and the area… photos of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner greet you as you walk in.
“I wanted a photo wall,” Orlando mentioned them as a staple of some Italian restaurants, “and I knew about the local Ava tie-in. I went to the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield to learn more. It was just natural to include them in the decor. The music we play is Frank and his contemporaries. I have plans to keep expanding the photo wall.”
Fiori currently offers dinner service 7 nights a week, plus lunch service Wednesday to Sunday. Orlando and Chef Tim Barron change up the menu throughout the year. Check out their website to order the popular $45 Family Dinner Trays available Sunday to Thursday… for when you don’t feel like cooking. Plus, be on the lookout for weekly food and drink specials. Chef Tim creates special features every weekend and sources fish and produce locally whenever possible.
Tim is also a JoCo resident; he had been working in the Raleigh restaurant scene but was looking for a position that would get him closer to home. Orlando brings tradition, but Tim has flair and an interest in adding some uniqueness to the menu.
For those wondering, Orlando’s favorite dish on the menu is the Zuppa di Pesce (a seafood dish), and his favorite drink is the Blackberry Old Fashion.
Now going into the second year, Orlando has plans to expand the sort of experience you can have at Fiori. Be on the lookout in 2026 for special events, like ticketed pairing dinners and a bourbon tasting. There is certainly an appetite (pun intended) for those sorts of events, both with locals and visitors. The wine tasting event a few months ago was very well attended, and there is already another one in the works for spring.
If I haven’t convinced you to go have dinner at Fiori’s tonight, or the next time you’re in JoCo, then maybe you just don’t like Italian food (why?) or a good time (doesn’t everyone?).
Fiori is everything an Italian restaurant should be. Inviting. Homey. Warm. Serving up rich food and drinks that go down smooth. A place where you might run into your neighbor, or someone visiting from another state. A place where both your stomach and your heart leave feeling pleasantly full.
To explore their full menu and reserve a table for your next visit, head to their website: fioriitalianrestaurant.com.
