Ribbon Cutting at Bruno’s Italian Restaurant in Bartlett
Staff, board members and ambassadors from the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) gathered at the new Bruno’s Italian Restaurant – in the old Pig N’ Whistle building – at 2740 Bartlett Road in Bartlett Dec. 10
The ceremonial ribbon was cut by owners Marvin Mims and Bruno Russell while surrounded by family, friends and staff members.
Bruno Russell is not new to the restaurant business. He started out working for big chain restaurants including Olive Garden for over 20 years but never lost sight of his dream to have his own Italian restaurant.
Why Italian? Bruno said he has always loved Italian food and the role food plays in the Italian culture of bringing families together. He finally opened his first Bruno’s restaurant in Midtown Memphis where he enjoyed serving customers for three years before closing. A few years later, Bruno helped open Evergreen Restaurant from behind the scenes. Many of his previous customers encouraged him to open another Bruno’s because they missed his food.
Bruno and his cousin, Marvin Mims, had talked about opening a restaurant within a year or two but decided to speed up the process and look for the perfect location. It was Marvin who thought the old Pig N’ Whistle building on the corner of Bartlett Blvd and Bartlett Rd might have potential. Bruno, who had driven by the restaurant for years on the way to church in Bartlett, knew immediately once he walked inside that this was the location for the new home of Bruno’s Italian Restaurant.
The restaurant operates with a philosophy of family first and they strive to treat everyone that walks in the door from staff to customers as family. Bruno cites the uniqueness as a fun atmosphere where everyone associated with the restaurant truly cares. He believes whether you’re in the restaurant industry or another industry, if you surround yourself with good people, that will make all the difference in your success.
The restaurant offers a wide selection of Italian dishes but also has traditional favorites from burgers and sandwiches to steak and fish. If you’re stuck trying to decide from their vast menu, Bruno would recommend what he considers to be his specialty, a dish he created called the Evergreen Chicken, which is over a bed of orzo rice and asparagus and topped with artichoke, mushrooms, olives, spinach, and feta cheese in a garlic cream sauce.
