From storage unit to storefront, Trevioli’s is expanding again and has a new focus

It’s been a little over a year since Trevioli Italian Kitchen’s co-owners were approached by developers to be the first restaurant located in The Rapids luxury apartment complex along the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

“It was humbling, they came to us and said ‘hey what do you think,’ and I said ‘why are you coming to me, I’m the little guy and this is massive,’” co-owner and chef Trevor Morris said. “So a very humbling experience and it’s been very rewarding and a little scary, but look how far we’ve come.”

The popular Italian restaurant was born out of a storage unit in 2013, and in 2016 expanded to the Blackmon Road location.

Now, they’re finally starting to see the fruits of their work as the new 5,200-square-foot space on the first floor of the W.C. Bradley apartment complex comes together. The anticipated opening date for Trevioli at The Rapids is some time in February 2020.

It will be a challenge to keep up with the demand likely to be generated by The Rapids residents and nine-to-fivers employed by large downtown employers like TSYS (now Global Payments) and Synovus. Over 300 new hotel rooms also coming to downtown will add to the restaurant’s clientele, including a hotel currently being constructed within the same development.

“Lunch is a big deal in Columbus right now and we think it’s only going to get bigger. With these mergers, these large companies, look at ALFAC, look at TSYS, I feel like this is one of the best spots to be in so we’ve got to have a strong lunch menu so we’re working on that diligently,” Morris said.

The menu will feature the same hand-made pasta dishes local fans love, but Morris said he isn’t afraid to mix up the offerings for the new location.

“We would like to make it a little more family-friendly, we’ll have some steaks, some fresh fish,” Morris said. “I would like to have a family night on Sunday nights where you bring the whole family out and it’s kind of catering style with more larger portions the family can share, which I’ve experienced in other places and people always tend to love. I want to be that place that people go on Sunday nights.”

Construction on the space is still underway but the bones of the restaurant are there.

Morris said some of the same elements that decorate the Blackmon Road location will be present, like black walls and a signature octopus, likely crafted by Morris himself.

Waves of the river inspired some of the decor inside including a curved bar and wavy wooden ceiling, with lighting peeking through the cracks.

The setup of the new restaurant will be a little different, with more space to work with and potential to seat 160. Patrons will enter on the side of the building facing the TSYS parking garage, and choose if they want to enter the bar area or the restaurant side.

“One thing we ran into on Blackmon Road was we enjoy having local artists, live music, and not everyone does,” Morris said. “So what we did is we completely separated it, so you come in and you’re in this glass room and you can go lounge side or you can go have a nice dinner.”

Additionally, around the back will be an all-glass room that seats around 40 people and can be rented for corporate parties or events.

The store will be the flagship of the Trevioli brand, according to co-owner Sanjay Choudhury. He said interested parties in Auburn and Birmingham have contacted him about becoming franchisees.

“This is our flagship where we want to build everything right and then we’ll have two different models, one is here and one is on Blackmon Road, so they can choose either one of the models,” he said. “The story started in Columbus from Trevor, but it’s definitely not going to end in Columbus.”

Morris praised his business partner for challenging him to pursue the location at The Rapids.

“I’m lucky to have such a great partner that pushes me farther than I would have ever gone and this is just the first step of something I think really big especially for us and for Columbus, we’re excited to be a part of all of this new stuff,” Morris said.

Morris said he anticipates spending a lot of time at the new location, establishing a tight-knit kitchen staff and getting the restaurant up and rolling. He’s not without help though.

“I have a very strong district manager, my wife, she does a fantastic job. So as long as I stay out of trouble with her I’ll be good to go,” he said.

The Rapids are part of a multi-million dollar, mixed-use project called Riverfront Place that encompasses 7.5 acres between the TSYS complex and the 13th Street bridge. Stretching from the Chattahoochee River Walk to Broadway, it’s being constructed in several phases, the first having been the $52 million, 226-unit apartment complex and adjoining Mat Swift Park.

Earlier this year plans for a hotel in the northwest corner of the site were announced and construction began shortly after.

Original plans for the development showed additional phases with more residential and retail space planned. In 2017, developers told the Ledger-Enquirer they were looking to include an office and retail building that could house a downtown grocery store, as well as an adjacent parking structure.

Choudhury and Morris said they had not heard yet what other restaurants or retail would be joining them in The Rapids in the future.

This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 3:01 PM.