Polpetti sandwich shop owners to convert Meadow St. storefront into ‘legit Italian deli’

The space, currently Market on Meadow, was previously Red Cap Patisserie. (Mike Platania photo)

With a cafe and sandwich shop version of their Polpetti Italian brand already in the works a few blocks away, Georgia and Peter Riccobono want to turn their existing Fan storefront into the kind of Italian deli typically found in the Big Apple.

The Riccobonos are planning to open a deli and bakery, also called Polpetti Italian, at 719 N. Meadow St.

It’ll be the type of deli the Riccobonos have long envisioned bringing to Richmond.

“(Opening a deli) has always been the end game for us,” said Georgia. “When we do it, we want to do it right. We really want to make a splash and put our names out there and say, ‘Okay, we’re here. This is the Italian bakery and deli everybody’s been looking for.’”

Georgia said the deli will be in the style of what’s called a “salumeria” up north. It’ll stock deli meats and cheeses along with Polpetti’s pasta and sauces. They’re getting an espresso machine that will serve coffee from Philadelphia roaster La Colombe, as well as a freezer case with gelato from the West End’s DeLuca Gelato. 

The wife-and-husband duo have been in the Meadow Street space since 2021 as part of the Market on Meadow, which at the time housed a few other farmers market regulars. 

They’ve since become the lone tenant in the storefront, using it as a prep kitchen for their takeout and catering operations, while also selling subs and sandwiches, and fresh pasta and sauces.

The deli will join a sandwich-focused Polpetti cafe at 515 N. Harrison St. near VCU that’s expected to open before the end of the year. That spot will highlight Polpetti’s sandwiches, which include variations of classic Italian grinders and chicken cutlet sandwiches and have largely fueled the business’ growth.  The sandwiches will also be available at the deli on Meadow.

Peter and Georgia Riccobono

The move to open the deli coincides with the Riccobonos’ purchase of the Meadow Street building last month. They paid $700,000. The sellers were the owners Red Cap Patisserie, which operated in the space from 2017 until the pandemic in 2020. Georgia said about a year ago they began discussing buying the building. 

“We didn’t have a contractual first right or anything, but they offered it to us…and we knew that we wanted our own brick-and-mortar space somewhere,” she said. 

The sale closed Oct. 31, city records show. The 3,700-square-foot building, which also includes a three-bedroom apartment on the second floor, was most recently assessed by the city at $572,000. 

The Riccobonos are planning to invest around $25,000 into equipment and renovations for the building. Planned work includes rolling out a new logo, branding and color scheme, and a new awning. 

They’re looking to open the deli in early 2025.