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Business & Tech

UPDATE: Massimo Italian Bar & Grill Opening Temporarily Delayed

Owners still waiting on sewer assessment and liquor inspection; new unveiling will not be until at least June 28.

The people of University Place will have to wait a little longer for a culinary tour of Italy.

Massimo Italian Bar & Grill, which was slated to open Monday at 4020 Bridgeport Way West, is looking at an opening of no sooner than June 28, co-owner Rich Johnson said Friday.

“We’re really close, but we’re waiting on a few things from Pierce County, so I don’t have an actual date,” he said.

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Those include a sewer assessment, which commenced at the beginning of last week and can take up to 15 days, and a liquor inspection, which cannot be completed until the restaurant has all of its chairs.

Johnson said that they ordered chairs on April 3 with an expected delivery date of six weeks later, “but then they called and said (it) would be another four weeks.” Massimo’s management canceled the order and purchased 90 chairs that were in stock. They will be delivered June 24.

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“There were some surprises that have held us up,” he said.

Once the liquor inspection is complete, the owners can order their product, and then open the 7,000-square-foot restaurant. That could be a day or two after everything is complete, Johnson said.

“I am hoping we can get all this stuff done and have the inspection,” he said.

Johnson said that owners Cindy and Massimo Terracciano did not run into such problems when they opened their first restaurant in Purdy in 2008.

Still, they are closing in on finishing their list of tasks. Not having to do any major construction to the former Captain Nemo’s helped – the brunt of their work, which started April 1, was painting, sanding floors and installing new light fixtures.

“We’re putting up pictures on the walls and training our staff right now,” Johnson said. “We’re really excited to be here in University Place and can’t wait to open.”

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