Westport’s Old Mill Grocery & Deli to reopen
WESTPORT — The Old Mill Grocery & Deli will soon reopen, continuing its 105-year legacy on Compo Beach, but now with an Italian flair.
Graziano and Maurizio Ricci are brothers and owners of another restaurant in town, Romanacci, and they are the next operators of Old Mill. The date is not set yet, but the two are looking to open the business next week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Jim Hood, chair of Soundview Empowerment Alliance — a nonprofit of five people that banded together with the community’s donations to buy the building a few years ago — said about 14 candidates reached out to take over the business. But the Ricci brothers’ commitment to the community stood out from the rest.
“We’re thrilled for the community and we love these guys,” Hood said.
The name of the business is also going to slightly change. The sign outside will read, “Old Mill Grocery and Deli Est. 1919 by Romanacci.”
The owners of The Granola Bar previously operated Old Mill for over a year, but had to leave to focus on their other business’ expansion.
Graziano Ricci said when he learned about Old Mill needing a new operator, he liked that idea of running one of the oldest establishments in town.
“To be on Compo Beach is a cherry on top of the cake,” he said.
Maurizio Ricci said they are honored to be coming to the area and like that the neighbors helped keep the business alive.
Old Mill is going to continue to provide food it’s been known for, such as produce and other grocery items, but will also have ready-to-eat food and new options. From fresh bread to Roman-style pizza, fresh pasta and top-shelf olive oil, the Ricci brothers are taking ideas from their other restaurant to this location, they said. They will also serve muffins, bagels, smoothies, salads, food that can be heated up at home and, eventually, beer and wine.
The interior of the business has been slightly updated. Maurizio Ricci said they changed the floors from tile to cement and made it look warm for the winter, and plan to make it beachy for the summer. They also added a table in the middle of the store for people to sit together and eat or drink.
Graziano Ricci said they are focusing on the relationships between customers and staff, even opening up the kitchen so patrons can see what is going on behind the scenes.
Hood said he and other members of Soundview Empowerment chose the Ricci brothers in September. He said he never thought they would be interested in a small business like Old Mill, considering they have another, larger one, already.
He said he was happy to see the business’s legacy continue. It is the only remaining business in Compo Beach, he said, and allows nearby residents to have somewhere to eat or get a few groceries within walking distance of their houses. Community support was key to the Old Mill’s continued operation, he added. When it was going to close about two years ago, community members came together to raise $1.3 million to prevent the location from being sold to developers, he said.