Carmello’s to Reopen With Major Changes

Carmello’s Restaurant, located on Center Street in Old Town Manassas, has been closed since September after an electrical fire ignited in the building’s ceiling.

The fire caused extensive damage, so management decided to close its doors and begin an entire renovation process that would last several months. A decision that would bring  positive changes to the business.

According to Miguel Pires, the restaurant’s general manager, on the day of the fire restaurant staff “smelled something funny and went to check it out.” The fire, which was concealed in the ceiling, was not able to be contained by a fire extinguisher on the premises and the fire department was called. 

There were no renovation plans in store for the restaurant in the near future, Pires said, but the damage was extensive enough  the establishment would've had to remained closed for a couple of weeks. And it didn’t make sense to close, open and then close again for renovations, Pires said. 

“The building is so old,” he said, "and it’s gone through lots of changes and we were having issues anyway.”

As a result, it was decided they would shut down for several months to develop a game plan for renovations and a new menu, which includes an entirely new look and feel for the gourmet bistro.

“We lost all our staff,” Pires confirmed. “We will be starting from scratch.”

The one thing that will remain the same is who will be preparing the food.

But everything else in the restaurant will be different.

There will be three different areas to dine: the main dining room, the fine dining room and a new restaurant called Monza. A party room will also be offered, which will be able to hold up to 120 guests.

Everything will be made totally from scratch. The menu will not be as extensive as before, but will have exotic dishes.

This will give us a chance to “really show off the chefs’ culinary experience,” Miguel said.

The new restaurant Monza, which is the focus of the 1,700 square feet added on to the back half of the building, will be a new casual dining atmosphere with a bar. It will feature dishes such as pasta, paninis and salads and will be a place for those interested in a quick meal or beer to grab a bite without having to always partake in the fine dining experience.

The outside patio area will also be a part of Monza and will feature live music. Dishes will range from $8-$14.

“If you’re out at a festival and want to grab a glass of wine, you can come in and do that [at Monza]," Pires said enthusiastically.

Although Carmello’s will be opening its doors on March 31,  they plan to hold a grand opening event the second week of April.

Check out their website for menu details and more information.