Panera Bread in Newport. Photo Credit: Howley Bread Group

This story was originally published on January 7. It has been updated to include the restaurant’s name.

A new restaurant is set to open this spring at 49 Long Wharf Mall (formerly Panera Bread).

The restaurant, Mother Pizzeria, is a partnership between Kevin O’Donnell, Giusto Executive Chef Kyle Stamps, and Giusto General Manager Lauren Schaefer, will offer a casual, urban atmosphere with two distinct dining experiences.

The first experience will be a quick counter-style to-go reminiscent of a Roman cafe, while the second will be a dining room and bar with the same high-quality service and hospitality that Giusto is known for.

The main attraction of the semi-open kitchen will be a Neapolitan-style pizza oven, where guests can sit at a small counter and watch the action as their pizzas are prepared. The to-go counter will serve Roman-style pizza, while the dining room menu will focus on sourdough pizza made with local stone ground wheat, as well as cured meats, tinned and house-cured fish, and local cheeses served with a variety of in-house baked breads. The bar will offer Italian-centric cocktails, approachable wines, and craft beers.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and more details, including the restaurant’s name, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...

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