By By Adrienne McKenzie
Atmore residents will have to wait a few more weeks for the grand opening of Italian restaurant Pintoli's, originally scheduled to open the first of December.
Owner Stephanie Pinto said Pintoli's will be opening some time in January and that she is looking forward to having the restaurant up and running.
"I'm excited," she said. "I can't wait to be here. Everyone has been so friendly."
There will be many changes to the facility on South Main Street.
"We're putting old Tuscan stone on the outside of the building," Pinto said. "We will change some things inside, but there is not a whole lot of work to be done in this part (the main dining area). We will have to do something with the outside, both front and back."
There will be a bar in Pintoli's, which will offer beer and wine products. The brick walls and the restored ceilings will stay the same. There will also be a couple's room, which will be a white linen section.
"We have a white linen section in Satsuma and a lot of anniversaries and proposals happen there," Pinto said in a September interview. "That will be the only place for reservations. The main dining room will not have reservations."
Pinto has a Pintoli's restaurant in Satsuma. She said approximately a year ago area residents began visiting the Satsuma location and said she should bring an Italian restaurant to Atmore.
"Everybody said that I should come take a look at Atmore and I finally decided that I would," Pinto said. "I came and look and decided that I love Atmore, it's beautiful."
Pinto said Pintoli's will provide a welcoming atmosphere for Atmore residents. The restaurant will focus less on pizza, although it will have 10-inch pizzas. It will have all Italian entrees, plus more, she said.
Pinto is the sole owner of Pintoli's in Satsuma, but thought it would be a good idea to have a partner for the Atmore location. Her restaurant partner will be Kimberly Davis.
"I've had Pintoli's in Satsuma for eight years," Pinto said. "But, I chose to take a partner here. I like an owner to be at one of the establishments. So, there will always be an owner here."
Pintoli's will be located on Main Street where McElhaney's Restaurant &Grill used to be. It will be open tentatively Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.