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Il Mullino, a restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine with a location in Roslyn, recently completed its redesign.
Here, the goal was to modernize its aesthetics while expanding private dining opportunities. The brand’s president, Brian Galligan, said the redesign brings a modern twist to the restaurant while staying true to its roots.
“As trends change, the needs of the diner are always going to change,” Galligan told LIBN.
“We felt the Long Island restaurant needed a more contemporary design, as experiential dining has become so popular,” he added. “I think social media has played a big part in this and want to continue to be relevant among younger diners while staying true to our roots.”
The redesign comes at a time when interest in dining out at fine restaurants is on the rise. That’s according to a study by Yelp, gathered from its internal data, and published in June. The study looked at the shift in consumer interest during a six-month period between October 2022 and March 2023, compared to the same time period during the previous year.
The report found that dining habits are “shifting with consumers demonstrating an eagerness for special nights out” as well as “fine dining experiences” among other preferences. Diners also want to be able to visit a restaurant during off-peak hours.
Il Mulino’s makeover also comes at a time when consumer interest in fine-dining is surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to Yelp, which in its study saw decreases in preferences for low price point restaurants.
Galligan said that the restaurant’s new redesign has “more of a modernized touch to it. We replaced our crimson carpeting with modern patterns, and our old chandeliers with sleek new fixtures. We also replaced our bentwood chairs with minimalist upholstery. Our old dark wood paneling throughout the restaurant was replaced by mirrors alternating with light wood slats.”
The restaurant focused on an ambience that brings “a mixture of luxurious and lively,” he added. “Our old design was very dark, but now our color scheme is a lot lighter with our orange notes throughout the restaurant. It makes the restaurant feel more open and alive, but still has that elegant and classic Italian feel to it.”
The mix, he said, aims to appeal to Il Mulino’s established following while also attracting new diners, many of whom find their dining-out aspirations by scrolling through social media platforms.
“We also look to the remodel as an opportunity to introduce the restaurant to new guests, reinvigorating our look, keeping up with the world of TikTok and Instagram,” he said. “Dining is not all about having great food, the ambiance and service are just as important. We felt that investing in this shift was well worth it.”
The restaurant, with its redesign, now has new private and semi-private dining opportunities.
“We completely revamped our basement space, ‘The Vintage Room, which can host up to 100 guests, plus a private dining alcove in the main dining room,” Galligan said. “We hope these changes will drive more opportunities for events, corporate meetings, weddings, bar-mitzvah, rehearsal dinners and other celebratory occasions.”
Built into the design was the ability to streamline operations so that the emphasis remained on the guests and enhancing their dining experience, Galligan said.
New offerings
With new couples and families that moved into the area during and after the COVID era, the restaurant took opportunities to cater to their interests. And while the menu hasn’t changed, the restaurant is introducing “a new happy hour featuring special prices on martinis, signature cocktails and small plates,” Galligan said.
Outside of dinner, the restaurant recently “introduced some new initiatives into the restaurant to bring a new audience,” Galligan said. “To start, we just opened for lunch with a prix-fixe menu from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Additionally, on Sundays, we host a ‘Sunday supper’ prix-fixe menu. While this is something we’ve always done at the Long Island restaurant, we think the new remodel can attract more families, as the look is more kid-friendly.”
The pre-fixe lunch menu, for example, includes appetizers such as beef carpaccio and stracciatella all fiorentina, entrees such as a petite filet mignon perfect for lunchtime, and finish with dessert, such as a vanilla panna cotta.
Even while diners are seeking out off-peak reservations, according to Yelp, evenings, the time slots from between 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. remain the most popular for those seeking reservations, according to the Yelp study. Saturday is the most popular day for dinner reservations.
Headquartered in Manhattan, Il Mulino has locations not only in Roslyn, but also in Greenwich Village, which opened 40 years ago, Soho and on the Upper East Side.
Galligan said that restaurant designs vary from location to location.
“Our uptown location caters to more of an older audience with the elegant feel to it, whereas our SoHo spot is catered to the younger generation with its open layout and bright finishes,” he pointed out. “We try our best to cater to the specific crowd, especially in the New York City markets.”
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