When Aaron “Bo” Brown decided to open a restaurant, he thought hard about what was lacking in Seymour.
Looking at the city’s dining options, he realized there were plenty of burger and pizza spots.
“I figured Seymour needed an Italian restaurant,” he said, “something with quality food, but at prices people can afford.”
That’s the idea behind Small Town Italian coming soon to 123 W. Second St. in downtown Seymour.
Brown, 38, hopes to have the business open this month and plans to serve basic, traditional Italian dishes like spaghetti, lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo. Other offerings will include stuffed manicotti, chicken, bacon Alfredo and others
Owning a restaurant has been Brown’s dream for a long time.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was little,” the lifetime Seymour resident said.
He settled on the downtown location for several reasons. He said the building’s rent was reasonable, and it didn’t need to be renovated.
“It’s in pretty good shape. We’ve had to do a lot of cleaning and painting, but we didn’t have to do any construction,” he said.
Most recently, the property housed Royal Pizza, but that restaurant didn’t last long, and the building has sat empty for years.
Brown hopes to attract people looking for dining options that are quick and budget friendly. Prices will average $5 to $8 a dish.
“It will be more like Fazoli’s prices than, say, Olive Garden and made to order,” he said.
Brown plans to offer dine-in, carry-out and delivery service. Hours will be limited to 4 to 10 p.m. at first. Lunch hours likely will be added as word and interest spreads and business picks up, Brown said. He will hire three or four employees at first, he added.
Another downtown restaurant is scheduled to open this spring at 112 St. Louis Ave. Renovation and construction are underway at the building owned by local businessman Tom Goecker.
The as-yet-unnamed business plans to serve steak, chicken and seafood meals and possibly offer craft beer.
Brown said revitalizing the downtown requires more restaurants and shops.
“It would be good if there was something for kids and teenagers to do too,” he said.