Every afternoon, cars pass by a brown brick building tucked in the corner of College Drive and Old Jennings Road in Orange Park. Students depart from a nearby college. Employees from local businesses head home after a day of work. The rumble of traffic rarely ceases.
Inside Valentina’s Italian Bistro, things are just as busy.
In this bustling restaurant, waiters walk past the pink walls and clank plates filled with bruschetta and toasted ravioli. The room, filled with natural light from open windows, is known to resonate with joyful sounds. On this night, family and friends are singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a 4-year-old girl eagerly awaiting a chocolate dessert. At the cashier counter, customers line up to order pastries, right across from a shrine built to honor past and present Prisoners of War.
The building has been many things through the years, but to Christopher Licata, it’s a dream come true. Licata, a 21-year Navy veteran and VyStar Credit Union business member, owns Valentina’s, which opened its doors in 2023.
“It was always a lifelong dream of mine to have my own restaurant,” Licata said.
From Aviation Mechanic to Restaurant Owner
Like many business owners, Licata fills many roles. Chef. Strategist. Bookkeeper. And the one he seems to enjoy most: friend. Amid a lively atmosphere, Licata moves around the room, making sure each guest, many of whom he knows by name, enjoys the recipes that have been passed down by his Italian father.
“I was raised in my father’s restaurant,” Licata said. “You know, growing up learning how to make pastries and bread.”
Licata has always had a passion for cooking, but in his younger days, he moved away from the family business in search of something new. He joined the Navy and became an aviation mechanic, eventually deploying to Sicily, Italy. That’s where he found his two loves: his wife, who is the namesake of his restaurant, and a rekindling of his appreciation for authentic Italian cuisine.
“This was always my first passion,” he said. “And I missed it.”
Licata eventually retired from the Navy, and having relocated to Jacksonville, began laying the groundwork for his dream restaurant. He could picture it: using the freshest ingredients to bring authentic cuisine to Northeast Florida residents. (Yes, he can even speak Italian.) Plus, he wanted to use his space to honor the brave men and women of our military.
However, he endured several barriers to get his business up and running.
“I went through a couple of banks, and they didn’t want to give me an opportunity because I wasn’t an established person,” he said. “Everybody at that time was a little reluctant.”
Finding a Trusted Financial Partner
Determined despite his setbacks, Licata applied for a commercial real estate loan and met commercial lender Tillery Durbin. Durbin helped him secure a government assistance loan for small businesses — known as a 504 loan, which provides long-term, fixed-rate financing of up to $5 million for major fixed assets — to purchase real estate, renovate the location and buy equipment.
“The government assistance program can be very confusing, so I sat with him and explained it all to him,” Durbin said.
Finding the right building and right price point was another hurdle. After seeing the location on College Drive a few times, Licata decided to buy and transform the property. Durbin was there every step of the way, regularly stopping in to see how the remodeling was going.
“She really made this process easy for me,” Licata said. “Without Tillery, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
Durbin's working relationship with Licata has only gotten stronger through the years. She continues to make sure he stays up to date on his paperwork — and is known to drop by to pick up dinner for her family.
“All I want to do is help businesses grow,” Durbin said.
Said Licata: “If I didn’t have Tillery, I wouldn’t be doing this. She makes it happen. She makes it easier for me.”
Serving Smiles and Great Food
Stop in at Valentina’s and the air is filled with the delicious aromas of Parmesan cheese and Margherita pizza. The menu features items like Lasagna Bolognese, Gnocchi with Pesto and Sausage — and Licata’s personal favorite, the Linguine Frutto di Mare.
It’s a welcoming atmosphere — the kind Licata always dreamed of offering.
“My absolute favorite part is being able to look my customers in the eyes after a meal and ask them, ‘How was everything?’” Licata said. “Just the way their faces light up. That’s what makes it worth it to me.”
This article is part of a series on local business members who have received support from VyStar. Read more stories.