Commercial Project | Mario’s Italian Eatery: The Bare Bones

Sometimes really cool things happen. And when they do, that’s code to go full swing ahead!

A few weeks ago a friend called to say that she knows a guy who is opening a new restaurant and he needs a fresh eye with the interior design. So based on her recommendation, he wanted to meet with ME. At first, I was shocked, but once the whole idea sunk in, I was stoked!

Mario Famularo will be opening Mario’s Italian Eatery, which is located in the Silk Mill on 13th Street in Easton, PA. If you’re not familiar, this is a cool area of town that has been converted from an old factory to shops, restaurants, businesses, restaurants, and condos. The vibe is super hip and it’s usually bustling each time I visit.

Fun fact: My grandmother worked at a slip factory in this mill during the 1930’s. She walked to and from work from Phillipsburg, NJ, just to save the nickel bus toll.

Upon meeting Mario, I realized that he had a solid vision. With an art background himself, he already had a few items in place to serve as a springboard for the rest of the design to follow. Rustic wooden shelves, vintage crates, industrial exposed ceiling, all begging to be dressed up a bit with color, pattern, art, greenery, and texture.

Let’s take a little tour of the space as it is now. As you can see, there’s so much potential.

Looking at the front entrance

The large back wall will be the future kitchen.

Vintage crates to be used for storage.

View of the back corner and future site of one of the counters.

This old scale belonged to his parents.

This corner will be where the Coffee and Espresso bar will go. The bathroom is to the right of the brick wall.

From the inside looking out – the sign you see from the street.

Another view of the space and how the kitchen will be incorporated into the restaurant.

So now the fun part begins. I submitted a few vision boards to Mario the other day, and we are currently analyzing what is needed and choosing what will work in the space. My plan is to show you all of this….the design whole process, from beginning to end. It is my hope that you will follow along.

In case you’re wondering, Mario plans to offer the community his homemade pasta, cured meats and artisan cheeses, pizza, sandwiches/paninis, Italian imported products, and a coffee/espresso bar. His website can be found here.

Restaurant address: Mario’s Italian Eatery, 669 N 13th Street, Unit A-102, Easton, PA 18042

Finally….

Before I end this post, I want to thank all of you who reached out with notes of congratulations and best wishes. Yesterday I officially announced my new venture…the interior design business that I wanted to start for a while. TRACY WARTMAN DESIGN will soon be official, complete with a new website, blog, and room reveals that have been waiting to be shared!