By Gretchen Webster

Felice, a New York-based Italian restaurant that specializes in fine wines from Tuscany, and Johnnie-O, a national men’s clothing retailer, are coming to Westport’s Main Street. Both had signs for their new establishments approved at a joint meeting of the Architectural Review Board and Historic District Commission on Wednesday night.

Felice (pronounced fell-EE-chay) is slated to open at 38 Main St. in January, in the space formerly occupied by Mexicue Restaurant. Johnnie O is coming to 49 Main St., to the space formerly occupied by the ice cream shop La Fenice.

Felice

The architect for Felice, Eduardo Yzquierdo, presented the joint commission with several designs to help alert diners to the restaurant’s location on the second floor. These included a plaque on Main Street at the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper floor, an entrance sign off the Elm Street parking lot behind the building, and the name of the restaurant printed on several second-floor window awnings facing Main Street. 

All the designs for the Felice signs were approved unanimously by the two commissions after several members said the second-floor location is difficult. They wanted to give the business as much advantage as they could by helping to publicize its location.

“These signs are a great solution. This is a challenging location,” Scott Springer, vice chair of the Historic District Commission said before the signs were approved.

Mexicue closed in December 2024, after two years in business. The second-floor location was cited as one of the reasons, as well as a lack of parking. However, the entrance to the restaurant behind the building from Bedford Square onto the restaurant’s terrace and main floor, was actually an advantage, making it easier for people to park in the Elm Street parking lots and avoid the stairs, one of the partners in Mexicue said when that restaurant opened in the same space.

The menu at Felice “features Italian classics made with the finest ingredients and an extensive, Italian-driven wine list.” The wines they offer are from an organic vineyard in Tuscany, according to the restaurant’s website. There are nine Felice locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, one each on Long Island and in Port Chester in Westchester County, and two in Florida. The Westport location will be the first in Connecticut.

Johnnie-O

Signage for Johnnie-O’s was also approved unanimously by the joint commission. The national retailer has stores across the country and also offers its brand in many other stores, including several in Westport.

Johnnie-O was founded 20 years ago with a line of golf shirts, and now sells men’s, women’s and boy’s clothing.