Little Hats Italian Market is preparing to open at the former Vui’s Kitchen space on Veterans Parkway in Murfreesboro, next to Waldo’s and Whitt’s. The restaurant and deli will become the Middle Tennessee concept’s fifth location and its first in Murfreesboro, according to an Instagram announcement by Jonathan Milewski. Co-owner Andrew Dodd told WhatNow Nashville that the team is targeting a late November opening, depending on equipment deliveries and final preparations.
The food will take center stage, with pizza, house-made bread and sandwiches, as well as fresh pasta supplied by the company’s sister business, Alfresco. Dodd said the new location will follow the format of the existing restaurants, bringing Italian deli favorites to a community that has not previously had a Little Hats location.
The experience is designed to combine the character of a New York deli with a distinctly Southern welcome. “I always say that we try to nail the vibe of a New York deli, but the hospitality of a Southern restaurant,” Dodd told WhatNow Nashville. He described the atmosphere as lively and full of things to discover, with the team aiming to create a place where people can come together over Italian food.
“We want to have a fun place that families feel comfortable bringing their kids, bringing their parents, bringing everybody to just enjoy some good Italian food,” Dodd said. He added that customers will also be able to stop in briefly to shop, rather than stay for a meal.
That shopping option comes through the Italian market inside the restaurant. Dodd said the team sources specialty products from Italy, including distinctive pastas, imported tomatoes, sauces, cheeses, Italian cookies, gelato and ingredients for charcuterie boards. The selection includes Italian-made gluten-free pasta and hard-to-find products that may not be available in typical grocery stores.
For customers who want to cook at home, Dodd said the market stocks ingredients ranging from imported flour and canned tomatoes to pasta, sauce and meatballs for a simpler meal. The selection may be slightly smaller than at other Little Hats locations, but the team intends to bring a substantial range of retail products to Murfreesboro.
Little Hats is locally owned, and Dodd said becoming part of the neighborhoods it serves is central to the company’s approach. “We try to really ingratiate ourselves into neighborhoods and just be a part of the community,” he told WhatNow Nashville.
Dodd said the company sees room to bring Little Hats to more communities over time, although no additional locations are ready to announce.
