Old Mill Grocery & Deli sits at 222 Hillspoint Road, a short walk from Old Mill Beach. Since the end of September its lights have been off and no new name has gone on the door. Romanacci, run by brothers Graziano and Maurizio Ricci, served its last day there on Sept. 29 and chose not to renew the lease. CT Insider reported that the brothers are turning their attention to a new restaurant in Darien. The owner, the nonprofit Soundview Empowerment Alliance, had not named a successor as of 06880's Oct. 20 report.
Whether the communal table is back by next summer depends less on which operator SEA signs than on what Westport's zoning will let that operator do. That question comes before the Planning & Zoning Commission again on Monday, Nov. 2.
Four Operators in Seven Years
The market's age is part of the story. According to 06880, the building is 107 years old and has served the neighborhood since 1919. It has also traded under Kenny's, Elvira's, and Joey's by the Shore. For decades it changed hands slowly. Since 2019, the pace has been very different.
| Years | Operator | How it ended |
|---|---|---|
| From 2019 | Joey's by the Shore, with Elvira Mae's Coffee Bar | Closed; 06880 reported the store had been dark for several months by March 2022 |
| From July 2022 | The Granola Bar, through parent company TGB Hospitality | Left in September, per 06880's January 2024 report |
| January 2024 to September 2026 | Romanacci | Did not renew the lease; last day Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Winter 2026 | No operator named | SEA is seeking a new tenant |
None of the last three operators stayed longer than about three years. SEA's attorney, Eric Bernheim, made the point to the commission on Oct. 19, as 06880 reported:
"It makes sense for Westport, and hopefully we'll have longevity instead of change every 2 or 3 years as the operators get worn down."
A Store That Was Bought to Be Saved
That turnover matters more here because of how SEA came to own the building. Five residents formed the nonprofit in late 2021, when the market was closed and its future uncertain. 06880 reported in May 2022 that the group raised the $1.51 million purchase price in two months. About 100 donors put up the first $1 million, roughly 450 GoFundMe donors added nearly $300,000, and Fairfield County Bank provided a mortgage for the rest. CT Insider put the community's total at $1.4 million in its own coverage.
The purchase served two goals. One was keeping the store in place. When Romanacci arrived in January 2024, SEA co-founder Jim Hood told 06880 the other goal was "training people with special needs, and helping make them employable." Both depend on a tenant who stays. An empty storefront keeps the building but leaves the training program with nowhere to run.
What a 1919 Store Is Allowed to Be
Here is the core issue. The property is zoned Residence B, and a grocery and deli is not a use that zone permits. Westport Journal explains that the store may stay because it was operating before the current rules took effect. Planners call this a pre-existing nonconforming use. The town's job is to let it continue without letting it grow.
The commission tried to give the store more room in November 2024 by approving a path to alcohol sales. As Westport Journal laid out, Text Amendment 843 allowed retail food establishments in Residence B to sell alcohol. The revised version, Amendment 846, extended the rules to food establishments in residential zones and allowed outdoor dining and alcohol sales at three specific businesses. A group of nearby residents sued, citing parking, traffic, noise, and pedestrian safety.
The February Ruling
On Feb. 18, 2026, Superior Court Judge Dale W. Radcliffe overturned both amendments. Westport Journal reported that he found they improperly expanded a nonconforming commercial use. According to Westport Journal's October coverage, he called the earlier approach a "transparent tactic designed to circumvent the prohibition against expanding nonconforming uses." 06880 reported that the amendments had also covered outdoor picnic tables and gelato carts. The court ordered the owners to stop uses that went beyond the store's lawful preexisting use, including alcohol sales.
06880 placed Romanacci's decision to leave "on the heels of" that legal fight. In its September statement, the operator said it had worked through "some very challenging times" and called the run "worth every single minute." SEA said Romanacci had handled "significant and costly challenges" with composure and good humor.
So any operator SEA approaches this winter will be looking at a store that, for now, cannot sell alcohol or expand outdoor seating beyond what it was allowed before.
Two Clocks Now Running
SEA is working on two tracks at once. They move at very different speeds.
- The appeal. Bernheim told the commission that the Appellate Court has accepted SEA's petition to review Judge Radcliffe's ruling. He expects a decision to take more than a year, which would put it past next summer.
- Text Amendment #875. According to 06880's hearing coverage, this proposal would create a new Food and Beverage Planned Development District. It would allow outdoor eating areas within 25 feet of a principal building and on-site liquor consumption. A companion map amendment would move 222 Hillspoint Road from Residence B into the new district. Bernheim described it as a floating district, meaning the commission would decide which lots join it.
The second track is the faster one, and it is the one 06880 tied to next season. If the owners get their way, 06880 reported, the new district would let them sell and serve alcohol "next summer." That timing refers to liquor service. Neither SEA nor the town has set a reopening date.
The proposal also reaches beyond Hillspoint Road. Westport Journal named two other neighborhood stores in residential areas that could be included, Gruel Britannia at 161 Cross Highway and the Country Store deli at 332 Wilton Road. If you get your morning coffee on Cross Highway or Wilton Road instead of at the beach, the Nov. 2 vote concerns you too.
What Was Said on Oct. 19
The hearing showed where each side stands. Commission chair Paul Lebowitz called the new amendment very supportable. As 06880 reported, he said, "This is exactly what is needed to save a jewel of Westport." RTM member Jimmy Izzo told the commission, "There were no issues at the Old Mill Deli, and I'm in favor of keeping this here." RTM member Chris Tait said, according to Westport Journal, "What we're looking for is to keep this gem alive. And we're not trying to make it any more than that."
Both 06880 and Westport Journal reported that the attorney for the Old Mill Preservation Group, the residents who oppose alcohol sales, warned that the district could bring bars and other businesses into quiet residential areas. He also predicted the courts would reject the new rule. That prediction matters. A rule approved in November could still be challenged in court, as the 2024 amendments were.
The commission continued the discussion to its Nov. 2 meeting.
Until There's a New Name on the Door
Romanacci still runs its other Westport location at 46 Railroad Place. Its statement said anyone with a prepaid house account at the Old Mill store can use the balance at other Romanacci locations.
SEA said it is working to find an operator who will continue what it called the store's "more than 107-year tradition of serving the community with food, beverage, convenience and connection." When that operator is named, the November vote will have shaped what kind of business it can run. If the district passes, the next tenant gets the option of beer, wine, and outdoor tables within 25 feet of the building, subject to any legal challenge. If it fails, the next tenant runs the same store that wore down the last three, and the appeal is unlikely to be decided before next summer.
If you'd like to talk about the Compo and Old Mill corner of Westport, or about what the Nov. 2 decision could mean for the streets around the beach, Emily Gordon is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
