Go Grisanti takes the Elfo Special and Miss Mary’s salad on the road
The new Go Grisanti restaurant is located at the intersection of Farmington Boulevard and Exeter Road. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Frank Grisanti Italian Restaurant first opened in the lobby of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Memphis in 1989. Since the beginning, to-go orders have been a significant component of the business, according to Frank’s son, Larkin.
And he saw that as an opportunity.
After five years of tossing around an idea to provide the community with a hassle-free takeout option — while still offering the same dishes and quality as the main restaurant — the family opened Go Grisanti in Germantown last month.
“We have always taken a lot of pride in how we present our orders and package them,” Larkin Grisanti said. “I think over those 30 years, our customers have seen that, and that’s what has really driven that to-go business and kept it strong.”
Go Grisanti offers customers the classic Grisanti menu — and quality — to go. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Although the family’s East Memphis restaurant offers fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks and veal, the Germantown takeout location will still offer some of the Frank Grisanti’s classics, such as the Elfo Special.
“If you’ve never been to Memphis and it’s your first experience with Frank Grisanti or Larkin Grisanti, the Elfo Special and a Miss Mary’s salad are the two classic dishes you start with,” Larkin Grisanti said.
The heart of the Go Grisanti concept is it’s “not a take and bake” restaurant, Larkin Grisanti said. As a father of five whose family is continuously on the road going to sports events, he wanted to create an option for families like his.
“Those are our customers,” he said. “We want to reach out not just to husbands and wives, but families that might be on the go and be an offering for them rather than just a drive-thru line.
“We’re not just preparing a product that we ask you to buy and then take home and cook. I think that is the niche that makes it different.”
About 95% of the business is customers placing an order and, within 15 minutes, picking up hot, ready-to-eat meals to bring home to their families. Go Grisanti’s other 5% comes from sales of the shop’s sauces, dressings and antipasto charcuterie items.
Go Grisanti has a blackened salmon meal and also offers classic Grisanti items, like the Elfo Special and a Miss Mary’s salad. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
“Germantown has been fantastic. Everyone has been so welcoming in the process,” Larkin Grisanti said. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Go Grisanti offers a lasagna dish as well as menu favorites like Elfo Special and a Miss Mary’s salad. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Chef Tate Gipson cooks up an order of the Elfo Special at the Go Grisanti restaurant. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Since Go Grisanti opened last month at the intersection of Farmington Boulevard and Exeter Road, Larkin Grisanti said the Germantown community has welcomed the business with open arms.
“Germantown has been fantastic. Everyone has been so welcoming in the process,” he said. “It’s been wonderful with a lot of people dropping in, wanting to understand the concept.”
As of now, there are no plans for other Go Grisanti locations. But they are open to the idea if something becomes available down the road.
“I’m focused 100% on this first one. I want to get it good to go and have a great start, which we are,” Larkin Grisanti said.
Topics
Frank Grisanti Larkin GrisantiSophia Surrett
Sophia Surrett is a University of Alabama graduate, where she received her B.A. in news media and M.A. in journalism and media studies. She covers small business, nonprofits, restaurant real estate, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics.
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