Picnic tables have been a popular feature of Old Mill Grocery by Romanacci — and before that, Joey’s by the Shore and Elvira’s — for at least 30 years.
A recent addition — a gelato cart — also proved wildly popular, until questions about its legality forced its removal.
Now, donors in the century-old market/restaurant in the heart of the Old Mill neighborhood hope that a text amendment will ensure that both the picnic tables and gelato cart can continue to serve customers.
And that similar spots, in other Westport neighborhoods, can do the same.
Picnic tables — shown here in a photo of Joey’s by the Shore — have been part of the Hillspoint Road market for at least 30 years. However, they were never officially addressed in town regulations.
Text Amendment #846, submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission, would allow outdoor eating areas for any retail food establishment existing or operating in a residential zone prior to September 1, 2024, and exempt them from the 50-foot setback requirement; update the “outdoor eating area” definition to include the right to utilize portable food carts and service stations, and expand the sale of alcohol to those same food establishments.
In addition to Old Mill Grocery, the text amendment would benefit The Porch at Christies on Cross Highway, and The Country Store on Wilton Road.
The Porch at Christie’s would also benefit from proposed text amendments.
An explanatory statement, filed as part of the text amendment application, notes that small markets, with up to 10 interior seats and offering “take and go” food, have become increasingly popular since the pandemic.
“They provide convenient access to their goods, while creating a strong sense of community and connection with one’s neighbors,” the statement says.
“The vision and impetus behind these proposed text amendments is for these establishments to serve as a place where neighbors can enjoy a casual glass of wine, or a beer, with their food, unwind, and socialize with their friends.”
The amendments are also “consistent with the Town of Westport’s 2017 Plan of Conservation and Development,” which encourages “tiny commercial uses embedded” in some residential areas, while “maintaining residential character.”
The Country Store, at the corner of Wilton Road and Newtown Turnpike.
It’s not easy for a small deli or market like Old Mill Grocery, The Porch or The Country Store — located away from commercial neighborhoods — to bring in enough revenue.
But donors in the 501(c)(3) that preserved the 105-year-old community resource believe that there’s enough neighborhood support, and other drive-by business, to support them.
OMG’s text amendment — which includes the picnic tables that have been there since the previous millennium, and specifically mentions items like the gelato “food cart” — would, they say, go a long way toward ensuring their continued viability.
Well into the next century.
Click here to view the full pending application of Text Amendment #846. Based on statutory requirements, the Planning & Zoning Commission’s public hearing will wait until November. Residents can comment on the application by emailing PandZ@westportct.gov.
Old Mill Grocery & Deli is popular with people of all ages. (Photo/Ed Simek)
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This is not just good for business, it’s good for our whole town.
These outdoor eating areas obviously have many positive qualities. But they’re also ripe abuse. To give just one example, “music” is permitted – but that apparently can mean live entertainment with amplified sound. From there, based on my experience, it’s easy to convert the outdoor eating area to a small scale outdoor concert venue with a calendar of weekly live acts – and a huge sound footprint. As one can imagine, the “music” doesn’t stop at 9:00 pm as required. Not even close. At any rate, outdoor eating areas are wonderful. Except when they’re not.
When I arrived in Westport over three decades ago, the dominant paradigm was; these stores are all non-conforming uses and when they cease operations, they must be redeveloped into conforming uses. I never understood nor accepted that myopic position.
Thankfully, our community mindset has done a complete 180 degree reversal. We have since come to recognize the gems these small shops are for our neighborhoods. This is long accepted urban planning; to recognize the value of what our outliers bring to the neighborhood, while adding character, charm and purpose to our single family residential zones.
I live near the Country Store on Wilton Road. Ownership has changed many times over the last (30) years. I have always enjoyed the convenience of this shop in my neighborhood. Whether it be for an egg sandwich, a quart of milk, bags of ice or gas for my snow blower, if need be, I can walk to the store.
Finally, without question, most importantly, my Country Store has brought countless reconnections with friends and neighbors I bump into while shopping. These stores also provide this unique opportunity for a snippet of time to exchange pleasant greetings with neighborhood parents while commenting on the growth of their child, on their way to or from a soccer or baseball game. Yes, these stores also act as a community meeting place. Perhaps I am more sensitive to this realization post Covid? This is why I moved to a small town.
A sincere THANK YOU to all of our neighborhood stores!
~ Joseph Vallone
I agree with Joseph. These stores bring the community together and provide a place for people to connect—something vitally needed. They also support our community. Unlike Hook’d —who I found out yesterday have a policy not to give out a cup of water to anyone, even if the patron is elderly and needed to take medication. Shame on Hooked! And, ironically because of their location, they have outdoor seating, but are the antithesis of community minded.
I am so appreciative of the efforts to keep OMG Deli a wonderful meeting spot for all ages. It exudes the small town charm and values we love about Westport. And the food is excellent! Thank you to all the people making this another charming part of our beach area.
I totally agree with Joe!
For those in Westport who always want to ” Sanitize” special small businesses in our wonderful town. KNOCK IT OFF!
These are the the uncommon aspects of small businesses that have always made Westport such a special place!
If you want an always conforming town in which to live, maybe you should live elsewhere?
An amazing place to be! I absolutely love eating outside… otherwise what’s the value of being near the beach?!!
I love this place 🩷
Love the Neighborhood connections made. We need more of this in our town.💖
I have loved this wonderful community spot in our town for close to fifty years. We need more places like this in Westport and can’t thank those who helped saves this important part of Westport’s history enough!
With all the challenges this world is facing, it saddens me that Westport has found a way to argue about ice cream and picnic tables. Why not just let these good people do their best with this very special place – and carry on the spectacular example set by Elvira’s all these years past, whom so many of us ADORED? Energy to fight this community asset is sorely needed for more pressing issues. Yes, it TAKES A LOT TO KNOW our neighbors – but we should turn every potential conflict into an opportunity to come together and SHINE as a community, lest we LOSE CONTROL of what makes us all, and this place, so special.
Wholeheartedly agree with the positive sentiments expressed. These small businesses bring neighborhoods together and must be supported.
Old Mill is truly the heart and soul of Compo Beach! It’s not just the stunning location that makes it stand out, but the rich history that seems to infuse every corner. From its timeless charm to the way it brings people together, Old Mill gives Compo its unique, close-knit community feel. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, it’s impossible not to be drawn in by the welcoming, nostalgic atmosphere. It’s what makes the beach experience here so special—truly a gem that keeps Compo Beach feeling like home.
We have lived on Compo Beach for 30 years, and the location of OMG Romanaccis has been one of our favorite spots, not just at the beach, but also in town. As everyone else has said, the location affords us the opportunity to connect with our community, while supporting local businesses like OMG Rpmanacci. The picnic tables offer the ability to sit outside and enjoy the beach neighborhood with friends and family. Seems silly that everyone would not agree! We also loved the gelato cart! It was so cute to see young kids waiting at the cart to buy their gelato. These small options, picnic table seating, and a gelato cart, make Westport feel like it used to feel! small town, and family oriented! Lets support these small businesses!
We love the charm of the neighborhood and how OMG Romanacci’s has become a great gathering spot for family and friends.
Old Mill Market is a staple in Westport, but the watering hole for Compo, Old Mill & Hillspoint neighborhoods.
It brings a buzz to the area in all seasons, a place to rest/stop walking from or to Compo, and was saved by a group of caring residents who raised money to protect the integrity of the neighborhood but keep something that allows residents and visitors to be enthralled in this section of our community.
It’s occupied by a local small business that relies on ways to sustain life to not just survive, but grow.
Outdoor seating is a must. The gelato cart is nostalgic but is part of their heritage, growing up in Italy, sharing their family recipes. Selling beer or wine with food is an added revenue stream and goes great with their dishes.
Let these small businesses sustain and grow.
It is so great to read all of these positive comments in support of OMG and D and what’s being proposed. This establishment has been very, very important to the Westport community for many, many years with picnic tables, ice cream windows, outdoor serving during Covid, and gelato carts for many, many years obviously without opposition. Why this is now being questioned is mind boggling. Who in their right mind would ever be opposed to an establishment so charming, well managed, and always kept neat and clean…inside and out….out of respect for its nearby neighbors? We saved this historical establishment in 2019 when nobody else was stepping up at a significant personal cost, the community then came in and saved it again when we needed to exit, due to the generosity of many of its citizens, and Romanacci stepped up to operate it in a very capable and professional manner. It’s a tough business to operate given seasonality implications so to take any of its assets away to make operating it even more challenging is irresponsible and quite frankly…absurd. It will be such a shame and have a very lasting and negative impact on the Westport and surrounding town communities if this proposed text amendment #846 to Planning and Zoning is not granted. P&Z please approve this well founded and endorsed request!!
We Love Old Mill! We even sent an email to the P&Z in full support!
As a resident of Old Mill Beach, I am pleased to share our families support for the Old Mill Grocery. We are proud to have come to know the amazing family and team that operate this important Westport landmark. It is a privilege to have OMG in our neighborhood. I cannot imagine the Old Mill Beach area without the OMG. We should all commit to providing them every possible opportunity as a small business to thrive and prosper. Outdoor seating is critical for OMG’s long term success and viability. The commitment to outdoor seating will also continue the store’s legacy of being an amazing social center for friends, neighbors, and visitors.
Places like OMG, the Porch, and the Country Store are such an important part of what makes Westport such an amazing place. With all of the change in our world, let’s commit to making Old Mill Grocery a constant and permanent part of our community.
I also know that having the gelato cart available for our community at OMG requires approval from the town of Westport. I am struggling to understand why anyone would be interested in opposing something that brings simple joy and happiness, especially to children in Westport. Let’s all work together, get this one right, any bring a little more happiness to each day in our community
Tom Stanford
OMG is a gem in our community. We lived for years on Compo Mill Cove and Elvira’s was the second home to all the kids in the neighborhood. Stacey waved good bye to the kids getting on the bus in the morning and welcomed the kids back after school. Recently the gelato cart was such a big hit with families. It was so much fun to see families gathering and enjoying the ice cream and the Romanacci menu. It’s hard for these small businesses to stay alive as the summer is their busiest season. Let’s support all our little businesses which encourage our residents gathering together. The Porch is another wonderful example of a business that brings joy to our community. I hope our boards support this amendment.
We totally concur with all the positive comments presented above. OMG has been and continues to be a valuable community asset. The outside seating is a positive addition which walkers, cyclists and residents find beneficial. Strongly recommend passage of the P&Z.
Westport must do everything possible with policies that support small businesses particularly those with locations capitalizing on our beautiful scenery I have been disappointed for years by the lack of outdoor dining on the Sound. OMG is an important asset for not only those living nearby but for the entire town of Westport.
Tbh I’m not sure why this is even a topic. The joy, camaraderie and energy that having a small group of adults and (mainly) children outside OMG on a nice summer/spring day is one of the many things that makes Westport, and specifically Compo Beach, such a special place. And to suggest that having a license to serve wine and beer to those enjoying a meal is anything that can be detrimental to the neighborhood is lunacy. OMG is a FAMILY friendly place, NOT a bar to hang out in! And keep in mind, we’re talking about people being outside and enjoying those tables only four months a year, which will sustain and enable OMG to be an ongoing successful enterprise.
OMG&D is a treasured jewel in Westport which has greatly enhanced the lives of all residents, not just those living in its beachfront neighborhood. With its outstanding food and welcoming staff, OMG&D provides something we all appreciate and need these days: a sense of community where good people can take a break and connect with friends, old and new. Being able to offer outdoor dining with picnic tables and a gelato cart will only improve the OMG&D experience and enable this small business to thrive. I strongly support Text Amendment #846.
OMGD is the best!!!
I have loved and enjoyed every experience at OMG. It’s a place of quick convenience and neighborhood connecting. Having the accessibility of picnic tables improves the experience for everyone and promotes supporting local businesses. Westport is a place that brings people together and celebrates inclusivity. This will be a forever gem in town for all locals and visitors! I strongly support.
OMG provides exactly what Westport needs..a cornerstone establishment the reminds us all of what Westport used to be!! A place that keeps the small town feel and sense of community going. The Gelato Cart and picnic tables are quintessential to that hometown feel that OMG provides! The children that grow up going to OMG for a gelato or a slice of pizza & to socialize, will bring their kids there one day! It all starts with a memory.
To the generations of owners of “our” Old Mill Grocery & Deli: an icon to Community, with OVER 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO WESTPORT- you deserve our continued praise, unity and unwavering support from all of Westport’s townspeople & It’s elected leaders. If there are actually people who MOVED TO the existing deli areas, and now, stand in hindrance to the very fabric of “Community”, shame on you – you are welcome to move.
Not to mention, their new gelato store – Oggi in Norwalk next to Rommanacis – is amazing gelato!! They would kill it with a gelato cart at OMG and we’d be so happy to go to the beach and get some instead of going to Norwalk !
Living in our Beautiful Westport for over 50 years, and as the Property Owner of the Pink Home ( the only home directly across from Old Mill Grocery and Deli (Permitted to Romanacci’s), it is disheartening to understand why this issue continues.
Romanacci’s is a well run organization with expertise in running a clean food and wine establishment. We are fortunate to have them as the current business owners with the excellent reputation which they have earned. As I see it from my window or door across the street, the Outside Seating for folks to enjoy their coffee while chatting with other folks, or reading a newspaper, or having a meal or a glass of wine, as well as kids and adults enjoying gelato from the adorable gelato cart is an Asset to be upheld by the Text Ammendment. This corner has been occupied by business owners for years, it is convenient to so many in the neighborhood, it has been a haven to children while waiting for the school buses early in the cold mornings, it is a positive for our neighborhood and for these reasons I support Mary Young’s decision.
May I join the chorus of praise for OMG? What a wonderful community asset. Let’s recognize the contribution that Romanacci’s and Oggi’s ( yummy gelato) have made to the beach area. Don’t we want to encourage small businesses to expand in our town? Outside service for OMG, The Porch and
the Country Store will enhance these small businesses and offer the opportunity for locals to gather.
We used to live right next to the old Elvira’s on Compo Hill when we first moved to Westport from the UK 10 years ago. Our kids loved going there after school and we immediately fell in love with the community feel which seemed to be centered around Elvira’s. We have recently moved to Weston and are still coming down to Compo regularly for walks and always stop at OMG to enjoy a coffee or a slice of Pizza. It’s one of the highlights Compo has to offer and we always run into friends and feel at home there. The community worked so hard to preserve this gem and I sincerely hope it will be there at least for another 100 years for our kids and their kids to enjoy.
As a resident of Compo Beach for over 30 years, I share the sentiments of many regarding OMG&D and what it brings to our neighborhood. It is a shame that so many of the small businesses that made Westport unique and special have disappeared.
I strongly support Text Amendment #846 in the hopes it will help preserve some of the nostalgic establishments and traditions that Westport was once known for.
I lived on Compo & Old Mill as an older kid. Walking, biking and even rollerblading when it was popular! My rest stop was always Elvira’s for a snack or drink. I would always bump into friends, chat and catch up on the picnic benches/tables. It felt like the heartbeat of the beach community. Then Joey’s took over and the same feels were happening. Old and new friends were coming & going, socializing and smiling.
Now OMG has the same effect on all of us. Without our beloved neighborhood stores our sense of community and unity would fizzle away. OMG’s picnic tables offer us a moment to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. I’m really all in for the amazing Gelato cart to come back! Have you had the pistachio? Whoa! We’re really so lucky to have OMG.
Fingers crossed for authentic gelato!!
Seems like everyone is in agreement that OMG/the gelato cart should be allowed!
I wonder if the people over at Hook’d/old Joeys were the ones who put in the complaint about the gelato cart. Worried about losing more business?
We need to support these small businesses, providing them with more outlets to serve the community if those accommodations are within reason. I applaud P&Z for taking this issue on their agenda. Citizens need to show up too!
We go to OMG 2x a day! It’s a huge part of what makes Compo feel like a community and we’re huge believers of the outdoor tables and service to add to that.
This deli/eatery has been transformed from a run down shop to a vibrant neighborhood hub, a place to meet and interact with the local community. There is no reason these tables should be removed.
The opportunities to create human connections is at the heart of a vibrant and thriving community such as Westport or anywhere else.
We are so fortunate that we are able to engage or share a meal with each other in such a personal manner with people we know and many times those with whom we have just met at OMG.
Just read the headlines today or any day this year to realize that we are so fortunate to even have benches where we and our children can meet, eat, speak and laugh.
Why this is even a topic of discussion would baffle 99.99% of the world.
And the two people who have been fighting the food cart and the wine sales are appealing the Zoning decision. It is a zoom meeting October 8th at 6:00 PM:
222 Hillspoint Road: (Opened without testimony on 9/24/24 and continued to 10/8/24) #ZBA-24-00496 by Joel Z. Green, Esq. on behalf of property owners 227 Hills LLC of 227 Hillspoint Road, Hillspoint Cove LLC of 223 Hillspoint Road and Ellen van Dorsten of 216 Hillspoint Road, appealing the decision of Mary Young, Planning and Zoning Director, to sign the “Liquor Permit Application: Local Official Approval Addendum” submitted by Romanacci Compo LLC providing Zoning Authority Approval for a “Café (LCA)” Liquor Permit for the business located upon the subject property, located in Residence B district, PID# E04050000.
It is unfortunate that this is even an issue. Let it be noted that OMG has the support of the community. Hopefully, the support of the many will not be outweighed by the inexorable few who oppose it. I support Text Amendment #846
darn you due process!!!!
I’m a bit confused as to why outdoor seating and ice cream would be an issue at a beach, especially at our wonderful Westport beach. So much dedication has gone into making OMG Deli what it is, and it should not only be appreciated but embraced as a way to bring our community together.