The new Ronnie Grisanti’s is a labor of love. “I knew my father wanted one more restaurant. I had to do this for him,” said chef and owner Judd Grisanti with tears in his eyes. The Grisanti family has been serving its beloved Northern Italian fare in Memphis for more than 100 years. Judd’s great-grandfather Rinaldo opened his first Memphis restaurant in 1909. Over the years, the family has grown and branched out, and there have been several Grisanti-owned restaurants — each one loved by its customers.

“After my dad passed away last year, I decided it was time to open a new Ronnie Grisanti’s,” Judd said. Judd went in search of a new location, considering spots all up and down the Poplar corridor.“I knew I wanted about a 4,000- to 4,500-square-foot space.  One where I can be involved from the front door to the back door. A place I could really wrap my arms around,” he said.