The restaurants were owned by Vincent and Mary Mandola, who decided to chase their dreams in 1977 with the opening of Nino’s. According to an Aug. 1 press release, the one restaurant “quickly grew” into a trio of Tuscan and Sicilian-inspired venues on one city block. In the 1990s, their daughters, Vinceanne Mandola and Dana Mandola Corbett, joined the family business.
Although once family-owned, the 2.57-acre development was purchased by an affiliate of Oxberry Group and TKG Capital Partners, the release said. Together, the co-developers plan to revitalize the area into a new destination of restaurants—dubbed the Harlow District. According to the master plan, the district will have six food and beverage concepts and two office spaces.
The revitalization will take up almost the entire block from West Dallas to West Clay and will include the Printing Museum and The HAY Center building, also known to some as the American Legion building, the release said. Houstonians can expect to see the revitalization begin this fall, with the first concept slated to open in late 2022.
“We would like to thank our amazing family, friends, guests and staff for the past 45 years,” Mary Mandola said in the release. “We are so proud of what we have accomplished over the years. We are excited to see the new venues created within the establishments that hold so many of our cherished memories.”
Leasing opportunities for the development are still available, the release said.
