Italian restaurant Rosemary and Olive planned for former Mimi Blue location

Restaurant owners George Stergiopoulous, Elif Ozdemir and Gino Pizzi plan to open Rosemary and Olive at 870 Massachusetts Ave. before May. (IBJ photo/Dave Lindquist)

An Italian restaurant described as “Old World with modern amenities” is planned at the Mimi Blue location that closed in January.

Named Rosemary and Olive, the restaurant is expected to open by May at 870 Massachusetts Ave., according to co-owner George Stergiopoulous.

Stergiopoulous, whose history of restaurant management includes Greek Islands Restaurant, 906 S. Meridian St., and Mama Fofo’s Greek Kitchen in the Garage Food Hall at Bottleworks District, said the ownership group includes Giorgio’s Pizza owner Elif Ozdemir and Ambrosia founder Gino Pizzi.

“We believe in our abilities, and we believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” Stergiopoulous said of the three owners.

Specifically, Stergiopoulous said his experience leading annual dining tours of Greece and Pizzi’s decades of running Italian restaurants will translate into a standout wine list at Rosemary and Olive.

“We’re going to try to put some really good wines together that are nicely priced,” he said. “We’ll have some interesting wines that aren’t super popular in our market here.”

The Greek Islands restaurant was founded by Stergiopoulous’ parents, Elias and Fofo Stergiopoulos, in 1987. Stergiopoulous opened Mama Fofo’s in 2021.

Ozdemir and Stergiopoulous are business partners at Giorgio’s Pizza, 9 E. Market St.

Pizzi sold Ambrosia, 5903 N. College Ave., to his daughter, Anna Cage, and her husband, Dan Cage, in 2019. Pizzi opened the original Ambrosia in Noblesville in 1979.

Mimi Blue, a meatballs-focused restaurant, operated for nine years at the 3,000-square-foot Mass Ave location before closing. Other Mimi Blue restaurants operated at the Fashion Mall at Keystone from 2018 to 2023 and in Carmel, 12505 Old Meridian St., from 2016 to 2021.

Building owner Edward Battista said Mimi Blue’s management, which included owners of Zionsville-based developer Kosene & Kosene, worked to bring Stergiopoulous, Ozdemir and Pizzi in as new tenants.

“I am so thankful for all that the Kosene family did to be a part of the Mass Ave community and culture over the years, and I am impressed with the group that they found to execute on a smooth transition to what comes next,” Battista said.

Stergiopoulous said the interior makeover won’t be extensive.

“The restaurant was beautiful inside, and the kitchen was very well organized,” he said of Mimi Blue. “There’s not a whole lot of work for us.”