The first Tampa Bay location for MidiCi, the Los Angeles-born Neapolitan pizza company, is close to opening in St. Petersburg. Part of Tyrone Square Mall, the new MidiCi — whose name, pronounced mee-dee-chee, is Italian for “you tell me” — replaces Lee Roy Selmon’s next door to Bonefish Grill at 2424 Tyrone Blvd. N.
And you should know: This place is billed as “fast-fine,” not fast-casual.
The MidiCi St. Pete franchisees are John Eckermann and Harold Bradshaw (an investor in South Tampa’s O Cocina), who worked together during their 25-plus years with Enterprise Holdings. According to Eckermann, the duo were attracted to the Neapolitan pizza-driven Italian restaurant’s values regarding employees and customers. They’re taken care of, to put it simply; MidiCi and Enterprise, Eckermann says, are similar in that way.
A large portion of the menu comes from Italy, including Naples-imported 00 flour, and is also non-GMO. Options include signature and create-your-own pies cooked in a 900-degree wood-fired oven for 80 to 90 seconds, personalized salads, appetizers, and a handful of burrata-inflected dishes.
“It’s very fresh and very healthy at a very low price point,” Eckermann said.
Diners can embrace their indulgent sides, too, with help from gelato and the famous Nutella calzone (yes, please). Not to mention, there’s a curated selection of beer, wine and premium cocktails, alongside wood fire-roasted coffee and gourmet tea. Basil Fizz (gin, lime juice, soda, simple syrup, fresh basil) and The Devil's Margarita (tequila, triple sec, blackberries, lime juice, simple syrup) are among the cocktail highlights.
Eckermann describes the 4,400-square-foot restaurant — featuring 150 or so seats — as a lively, energetic experience for patrons of all ages, complete with entertainment elements (live music, for one) that extend beyond the certified pizzaioli doing their thing in the open kitchen.
“When I say it’s fast-fine,” Eckermann said, “my best example is if you took Chipotle and put it inside a fine-dining restaurant.”
The training process for MidiCi St. Pete employees is still underway, but Bradshaw and Eckermann are nearly there, as Oct. 27 is opening day.
They have the ability to expand into numerous territories with the restaurant brand as well. The pair’s gone back and forth on properties in the International Plaza area of Tampa, but the idea is to get started on No. 2 as soon as a location is agreed upon.
“While we feel very, very good about the food, and the food is fantastic, that’s not what MidiCi is about,” Eckermann said. “We’re really there to bring the community together.”
With five other Florida outposts in the works alongside existing restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and Kissimmee, MidiCi operates nationwide in 10 states, including California, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan and Texas.
