Old Mill Grocery & Deli
Old Mill Grocery & Deli – File photo

By Meghan Muldoon

WESTPORT – The owners of Old Mill Grocery & Deli are excited about the historic market’s future, despite the decision by its current operators, Romanacci, not to renew their lease after running the business for the past three years.

Soundview Empowerment Alliance (SEA), the nonprofit that owns the 107-year-old beachside property, is talking with multiple prospective operators and, according to SEA co-founder Ian Warburg, a new tenant could be selected soon.

“We’re currently in active discussions with no fewer than four very capable and experienced groups who have great success in other locations,” said Warburg. “They are very interested in coming up with something and have really robust ideas about what can be done there.”

One prospective operator, Warburg said, “wants to start like tomorrow.”

“They’re chomping at the bit to get a lease and move in,” he said.

Warburg added that SEA intends to carefully consider all of the proposals before deciding who will take over the landmark establishment.

Looking beyond summer

For Warburg, the key to Old Mill Grocery’s long-term viability is finding an operator with a concept tailored specifically to the property that can generate business throughout the year.

“The viable future is an operator who comes in with a really site-specific plan and concept that’s less seasonal in nature, more year-round in offering,” he said.

Old Mill Grocery has historically been a popular summer destination, benefiting from its proximity to the beach. But Warburg said the property’s history shows that a successful year-round operation is possible.

“We have the history to demonstrate that it can be done,” he said. “It just takes putting together the right combination of offerings and marketing it well to the community.”

Romanacci’s departure

Romanacci, owned by brothers Graziano and Maurizio Ricci, announced this week that it will not renew its lease at Old Mill Grocery & Deli after three years operating the historic market.

The Riccis, according to Warburg, are turning their attention to growing their restaurant business, including a new Romanacci location planned for Darien this year.

Warburg characterized their exit as a business decision rather than a failure of the Old Mill operation.

“They made money,” he said. “It was a profitable operation, not wildly profitable and not sufficient to keep their attention when they have other much more profitable activities to engage in and pursue.”

Warburg said Romanacci did “a really great job” operating the market but ultimately could not overcome the challenges posed by its seasonal nature.

SEA and the Riccis, he added, are “parting as friends and under the best of terms.”

Romanacci’s tenure at Old Mill Grocery & Deli was marked by a legal battle over whether the market could serve alcohol to customers.

A group of nearby residents filed lawsuits challenging Westport’s zoning amendments allowing the beachside market to sell and serve alcohol. The plaintiffs expressed concerns about the potential effects that on-premises alcohol consumption would have on parking, traffic, noise and pedestrian safety in the neighborhood. 

In February 2026, a Superior Court judge ruled against the town’s zoning amendments, concluding that the changes improperly expanded a nonconfirming commercial use in a residential zone. 

While acknowledging the ruling was a setback for Old Mill Grocery’s efforts to offer alcohol on the premises, Warburg said SEA is open to the possibility of a BYOB component, depending on what is ultimately proposed and permitted. 

He said he remains very confident in the property’s future.

“It can be run profitably,” he said.  Warburg noted that the prospective tenants “absolutely believe they’ve got ideas that will not only address the high season but that will carry the business through the winter months and provide real value to the neighborhood.” 

“I’m excited to see what they come up with,” he said.

Meghan Muldoon

Meghan Muldoon is a freelance journalist based in Darien, Connecticut. As a television and print journalist, Muldoon has covered state government and politics in Virginia and Connecticut.