Restaurateur Transforms Century-Old Mill Building Into Italian Dining Destination
By Elise Franco – Staff Writer, Charlotte Business Journal
Michal Bay’s latest venture, an authentic Italian restaurant, is open in Mooresville.
Florence Wine & Beer Garden, located at 518 S. Church St. in Merino Mill, is currently in its soft-opening phase and will host a grand opening at 11 a.m. on Oct. 7. Bay, a local restauranteur and owner of Merino Mill, said patrons can expect a curated menu of traditional, home-cooked Italian food.
Desserts include cannoli, tiramisu, limoncello mascarpone cake, hot honey peach cheesecake and several chocolate specialties.
Bay said his favorite dish is a steak cooked with Italian herbs that is so tender it is served with a spoon instead of a knife.
“I was lucky enough to travel (to Italy) many times, so some of the dishes are from my travel experiences,” he said. “One of the main things that was important was offering (affordable) prices. I want everyone to be able to experience this and have good food.”
Bay said the food is prepared fresh for each service. Staff arrives in the morning to prep for lunch, and the restaurant is closed from 2 to 5 p.m. to prep for dinner. This is why there are only a handful of items on the menu, he said.
The current menu on the restaurant’s website lists 12 options, from appetizers to pasta and main meat courses.
“We make everything fresh for both our lunch and dinner service,” Bay said. “When a dish sells out, it’s gone, because we want every plate to be the best quality.”
Florence is located in a nearly 100-year-old red brick structure with 50-foot-high ceilings and tall archways. Bay said he spent almost three years renovating the building, which once served as the powerhouse for the Mooresville Cotton Mills.
“This space has beautiful character but it was run down,” he said. “I could have knocked it down and built something four times bigger, but it is a piece of an American heritage, and the people of Mooresville deserve to keep this building.”
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