Correction appended.
Emily Houpt, an Athens resident, is opening a new Italian restaurant that will serve homemade pasta along with other Italian cuisine.
Houpt, a new business owner, said she is hoping to open Tavolino, 9 N. Shafer St., in late May or early June. West Side Wingery previously occupied that location.
“(Being a new business owner) feels surreal,” Houpt said. “I’m incredibly excited and can’t wait to start rolling out pasta.”
Houpt had always dreamed of opening an Italian restaurant, but didn’t think it was possible. A friend of Houpt’s told her about how West Side Wingery was renting the property and merging with Fluff Bakery, its sister restaurant located at 8 N. Court St.
West Side Wingery will be moving to Fluff Bakery during the summer to merge the two businesses owned by husband and wife, Jason and Jessica Kopelwitz. Houpt took this opportunity to rent the property to start up her Italian restaurant.
“(I chose) Italian because it’s my favorite food to make,” Houpt said. “I really like the Italian culture, you can tell who a person is by the food they make.”
The name of the restaurant, Tavolino, means "little table" in Italian and Houpt said she plans to keep the establishment small, as the name implies.
“I want it to be small and I’m never going to expand to where it’ll be ginormous,” Houpt said. “I want it to be like going to your grandma’s house to eat dinner.”
The hours and menu have not yet been established for the restaurant. Houpt said she plans to serve only lunch and dinner at first.
The plan is to start serving breakfast within a couple of months with espressos, lattes and Italian pastries, Houpt said.
“The average person could do (dinner) for date night or a business meeting,” Houpt said. “Lunch will be cheaper like Bob Evans style and there will be smaller selections available for those on the go as well. Dinner will be fancy.”
Houpt said she is planning on being the only person to cook, while having two employees, one to serve and one to do the dishes. Houpt said she believes people will enjoy her homemade pasta.
“It’s rare to find a restaurant that makes homemade pasta and everyone loves it when they do find that place,” Houpt said.
Houpt believes the biggest challenge, other than marketing, is getting through all the inspections that will take place after she moves into the property. Houpt, however, remains optimistic through the process of opening a new business.
“I’m so excited and just blown away by everything,” Houpt said. “I am ready for this though.”
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the rental status of the property. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
