Gallicchio’s Market & Eatery is taking shape at 702 N. Person St. in Raleigh, where chef and owner Stacy Gallicchio Murphy is developing a restaurant and neighborhood market. Murphy spoke with WhatNow Charlotte about the new concept and said she is targeting an early fall opening, with the end of September or beginning of October currently in mind.
The concept is rooted in Murphy’s connection to the Person Street neighborhood. The space is located in a former neighborhood pharmacy building, and Murphy said the property has been part of the surrounding community for generations. “It’s actually part of my neighborhood,” she told WhatNow Charlotte. “And so we are taking over the restaurant and turning it into a market of just prepared food.”
Rather than functioning like a traditional grocery market, Gallicchio’s will focus on food made in-house. Murphy said, “we won’t be selling anything that we don’t make in house.” The market will feature an antipasti case with roughly 13 or 14 selections, including salads, marinated vegetables, olives, house-made sausage, and eggplant.
Prepared foods will give customers another way to take the restaurant home. Murphy said the offerings will include sauces by the pint or quart, lasagna, and other prepared meals. “We’ll have prepared foods that you can take home, as well as an eatery where we’ll make food à la minute,” she said.
The eatery itself will have approximately 30 seats, with Murphy envisioning a strong daytime component. “I think that we’ll probably have a very fast lunch,” she said. Later in the day, she hopes the space will transition into a place where customers can linger over wine and antipasti. The beverage selection will include a curated list of roughly 12 wines at a time and European beers.
Murphy said the restaurant menu will include sandwiches, salads, a Milanese dish, and a rotating fish selection based on the season and availability. Bread will also be made in-house. “My goal is for people to come in and they can have a luxurious meal,” she said, while also wanting customers to be able to “come in and eat every day because it’s fresh.”
Beyond the food, Murphy said the atmosphere and hospitality are equally important. “It’s important to me that everyone is happy to be there,” Murphy said. “We care about people. We’re never too good to answer questions, and we take pride in what we do.”
That neighborhood focus is something Murphy hopes will define Gallicchio’s long-term. “That’s my neighborhood,” she said. “And I love the people there.” She wants the restaurant and market to become a place residents can visit regularly, whether they are stopping in for something quick or making it a destination.
