09/03/2026
A little Rita Michelleās opening update ā¤ļø
September 1st was our original target opening date.
Wellllllā¦ September 1st has come and gone. š
The good news is we have made SO much progress. Most of the really big things are behind us, construction is moving much faster now, and after speaking with our general contractor, October 12th is looking like a good new TARGET opening date.
And Iām definitely emphasizing TARGET. š
There are still inspections, licensing, equipment, construction details, training and about 4,782 things on my personal to-do list before weāre ready to open those doors.
After our hiring post, Iāve also had a few people ask why in the world we need so many employees. š And honestly, when you just see the number, it does sound like a lot.
But hereās what weāre actually preparing for:
Rita Michelleās will be open 7 days a week, serving breakfast, lunch AND dinner.
Between the dining room and patio, weāll be able to seat close to 100 people. Weāre also working to make the patio as temperature-regulated and comfortable as we reasonably can so that we can use that space for most of the year.
On a busy shift, we could easily have close to 20 people working the front of the house and another 20 in the back of the house.
Sounds crazy, right?
Until you remember those 40 people canāt work breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. š
They need days off. People have families. People get sick. Some will work mornings, some evenings, some weekends and some part-time.
When you actually break down the size of the restaurant and the hours weāre planning to operate, you realize pretty quickly that it takes a village.
And thatās another reason Iām not rushing this opening.
Hiring people is one thing.
Building a TEAM and getting everyone trained and ready is another.
When we open, I donāt expect everything to be perfect. Weāre human, and there will absolutely be growing pains. But I do want to know that weāve done everything we reasonably can to be prepared before we invite you through those doors.
Iād rather move a target date than rush an opening just because I said September 1st months ago.
So for nowā¦
š
October 12th is our new TARGET.
Weāre getting close, yāall. Really close. ā¤ļø
Thank you for continuing to follow along, ask questions, share our posts and support this crazy little dream while we turn it into something real.
Rita Michelleās is coming. Weāre just making sure weāre ready for you when it does. ā¤ļø
This is the next move. This patio! The bar is being built as we speak!! We canāt wait to meet all of you and start making memories together!
