The Corner Italian, located along Broad Street, is set to open its doors in January.
This business marks the second restaurant Kevin Champlin owns — the first being Kevin’s Italian Bistro in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Champlin sold his bistro earlier this year, but was drawn to open his new venture in his hometown.
The idea for this new location was first suggested by Champlin’s Performance Foods sales representative sometime last winter. The offer was accepted around October, but the transaction didn’t officially close until this month.
“So this [Prescott location] was kind of pushed on me by a sales rep who’s familiar with the town. He said that what I was doing [at Kevin’s Italian Bistro] would be a great fit here, and I could do better at it here,” Champlin said.
Champlin graduated from Prescott High School in 1995, and he still has family and friends living in the area. He began cooking when he was 16. Then he attended culinary school in 1996. He’s been working in the food scene ever since.
“I went into contract management companies like Bon Appetit, Sodexo, that kind of thing. Did some employee catering. So I did high end, I did low end, I did everything in between,” he said.
The Corner Italian will focus on Neapolitan and Sicilian pizzas, pasta and some American cuisine.
“I’m not going to do an extensive amount of pasta, but each one is going to be a little bit different, utilizing Italian ingredients from guanciale, pancetta [and] truffle,” he said.
A few things patrons can anticipate from The Corner Italian are gluten free options, meatballs that Champlin says he “perfected” while in Minnesota and incorporating Italian flour and pasta into his dishes.
“Meatballs in Italy are a big thing. If you can’t make a good meatball, forget it,” he said.
While Champlin still has his work cut out for him until opening day, he is eager to create a casual, service-oriented space where people can relax and enjoy his food.
“I’m looking forward to coming back home, being in a community that I know, being with people that I know, and just showcasing what I’ve done over the last 35 years,” he said.
Dining and Cooking