Fiorella’s Trattoria in Wellesley is adding 47 seats by expanding into space formerly occupied by the Papa Wheelies bike shop at the corner of Washington and Church Streets. This will bring the Italian restaurant’s interior seating capacity to nearly 90, while it has 20 outdoor seats seasonally.

“The expansion will hopefully allow us to better serve our guests and create a more comfortable space with the flexibility for larger groups,” says Fiorella’s Rémon Karian.

The Select Board on Dec. 16 approved changes at Fiorella’s, which opened in Wellesley in 2019 (see hearing on Wellesley Media recording about 27 minutes in).

Karian says the expansion should be complete early in the new year.

During the hearing, a neighbor spoke out about traffic and stormwater management concerns. At least some traffic and parking issues in and near Wellesley Square could be addressed through a comprehensive streetscape project the town has planned.