SPARTANBURG — Michele Lepore moved to the Upstate with no intentions of getting back into the restaurant business.
He spent most of his career running Italian restaurants in New York City with several partners before eventually branching out on his own. Now, he’s preparing to open Lepore Ristorante Italiano in downtown Spartanburg by the end of October.
It’s located at 116 Magnolia St., which most recently housed Buzer Mediterranean restaurant
He considered locations in Charlotte, but decided opening a restaurant in Hub City was a better fit.
Property at 116 Magnolia St., which was previously home to Buzer and Local FIG, will again house a restaurant — Lepore Ristorante Italiano.
Matthew Hensley/Staff
“I just have a good feeling about this area,” Lepore told The Post and Courier. “The plaza has a European feel to it, and it’s such a beautiful street. I just like the slower pace, and the people are so friendly.”
The new restaurant will include a wine bar on an upstairs floor and a bar on the ground level serving cocktails. Lepore expects to employ more than 30 workers and a soft opening will likely be held before an official opening yet to be scheduled.
The lunch and dinner menu includes a variety of pastas, salads and soups. Lepore’s authentic Italian food dishes have been crafted over the years.
There’s the salsiccia tartufata with grilled sausage, arugula white mushroom shaved Parmigiano, truffle and house vinaigrette. For the more adventurous, maybe the insalata di polipo with octopus salad, green apples and potatoes in lemon is more your style.
Lepore is a native of Italy, where he got his culinary training. He moved to New York City in the early 1990s. All of his restaurants have included signature Italian dishes. He’s excited to bring something new to Spartanburg and may consider expanding elsewhere.
“I will see how this one goes and may see about opening other restaurants,” he said.
Spartanburg’s Magnolia Street continues to attract new business including Downtown Pizza and Lepore Ristorante Italiano.
Chris Lavender / Staff
The city’s Magnolia Street continues to draw new business. Downtown Pizza opened Oct. 14 at 156 Magnolia St. — just a few storefronts down from Lepore. It serves more than 20 different New York-style pizzas daily.
Co-owner Leonard Balaj said Downtown Pizza is already busier than expected.
“It’s been a little overwhelming,” he said. “We have not been able to do online orders or provide delivery since we have been so busy. We plan to start delivery and online ordering in the next three weeks.”
Balaj said he’s excited for Lepore Risorante Italiano’s opening.
“The more businesses we have on Magnolia Street, the more people will come downtown,” Balaj said.
Lepore, who has visited Downtown Pizza, said he’s optimistic about the future of downtown Spartanburg and eager to see how the city’s Morgan Square redesign will look when finished.
“I decided to open my restaurant before I knew there was a redesign coming,” he said. “I heard it’s going to take about a year or two years to complete.”
Other businesses located on Magnolia Street include Cara Bella Boutique, Miyako Sushi Group, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate and Lean Kitchen Co.
Dining and Cooking