Restaurant owner Georges Makhlouf is not a stranger to Thayer Street. For almost 25 years, he owned a business just off the popular College Hill block before it closed after the pandemic. In a few weeks, Makhlouf will make his return with the opening of Giorgio on Thayer, which will serve made-to-order sandwiches, high-end Italian meat and pasta, gelato, coffee and cocktails.
The space was previously occupied by Spectrum India, which closed earlier this year.
“I’ve been with the Brown community for many years,” he added. “I’m happy I’m coming back.”
The eatery’s final inspection is expected to take place in the next two weeks, after which Giorgio will open to the public, Makhlouf told The Herald. Giorgio will join the cast of new storefronts on Thayer during a year of business turnover.
He hopes that Giorgio will be a “family business to support our community,” and aims to make the space accessible to students with free Wi-Fi and student-only offerings. The eatery will also have quick service, “like a high-end restaurant, but in a low profile,” he said. “The concept is unique,” Makhlouf added.
Makhlouf has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years, managing his restaurants while also being an electrical computer science engineer. “I started this business as a place to be where I can meet friends,” he said.
In Makhlouf’s three-decade restaurant career, he operated businesses across a “diversity of cuisines” in Massachusetts and around Providence.
Makhlouf has “had a lot of different restaurants and things like that through the city, and he does a very good job,” said Harrison Dulgarian, vice president of Dulgarian Properties and the landlord of Giorgio.
Of the 15 different companies that were interested in the space, the eatery was selected because Makhlouf had previously rented a Dulgarian building.
“We were comfortable with him” in the new space, Dulgarian said.
In the past few months, the building has undergone significant renovations. “It looks completely different than it did before,” Dulgarian said. “They really transformed the space.”
“People are excited to see them open, and they’re excited to try it,” Dulgarian added. “I think this is something that the street and the community is going to benefit from.”
Some students expressed excitement about the opening of a new restaurant on Thayer Street.
Jood Al-Farsi ’27 said “last night I was really craving pasta, so Italian would be nice on Thayer.”
“I think Providence as a whole has a very big Italian food scene,” said Audrey Parkin ’30, who is excited for the gelato. “Thayer does not yet have any Italian food, so I think it’s really cool that there is going to be a new Italian restaurant there.”
It’s “definitely an upgrade from Ratty pasta bar,” Ashna Muni ’29 said.
