GREENFIELD — Get ready. Italian food is coming to downtown Greenfield.
Tour of Italy Café is expected to open in the next few weeks in the building that used to house The Harbour and the Bread Ladies at 5 American Legion Place in Greenfield.
Jim Phillips owns Tour of Italy Italian Restaurant in Shelbyville and wanted to bring similar food to his hometown of Greenfield.
When the building was up for sale earlier this year, Phillips bought it and has been spending time renovating the inside.
“Every little town needs a little Italian restaurant downtown,” Phillips said. “I wanted to open up in Greenfield because I live here, and I was just waiting for the right time.”
The menu will be similar to that of the restaurant in Shelbyville, Phillips said. The café will serve pastas, pizza, calzones, seafood and subs among other Italian fare.
The bread and dough for its subs and pizza will be homemade, and the restaurant will use the highest quality ingredients it can purchase, Phillips said.
Tour of Italy Café will feature Italian dessert favorites, including cannoli, tiramisu and cheesecake.
Though the tables will have white table cloths and candles, and the wait staff will wear tuxedo shirts with bowties, the restaurant will be casual, affordable and family-friendly, he said.
Phillips said he hopes to have entertainment with live musicians and a violinist playing during the week and weekend. Within the next few months, he’ll add wine and beer to the menu, as well.
“I’d like to bring downtown America back to life,” he said.
Joanie Fitzwater, city planner, said the new restaurant fits in perfectly with the city’s goal to revitalize downtown. City officials hope to attract retail, restaurants and nightlife to the center of the city.
“I’ve eaten in the restaurant in Shelbyville, and the food is wonderful,” she said. “It will be a great addition to our restaurants. … It’s especially important because it improves our nightlife downtown.”
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, Phillips said. During the day, he hopes to attract business folks who are working downtown, and at nighttime, he hopes families will come in for some “really great Italian food.”
