Obama Field Office Opening in Maria's Roman Room Building

The space where diners once enjoyed pizza and pasta at Maria's Roman Room will now be used for cold-calling and coordinating door-to-door efforts for the Barack Obama presidential re-election campaign.

The campaign office — one of only two Obama west-Cleveland outposts — will officially open at 11826 Detroit Avenue next week.

But already, things look quite a bit different.

Dining rooms are now lined with desks, computers and telephones — and organizers said there's more to come.

"We're having the official launch on Sept. 10," Revaz Ardesher, a field organizer for the Obama campaign, told Lakewood Patch last week.

"I've been working out of the Parma office. It has fluorescent lighting and it really seems like an office. So, this is very nice." 

According to LoveLakewood.com, Maria Bastulli operated Maria’s Roman Room for 44 years before selling it in early 2005 to Leonard and Olga Fink. Ownership transferred again in late 2008.

The restaurant closed in 2009, and has been vacant since.