The long-anticipated Mimmo’s Bistro opened its doors Friday on Front Street in Meridian to nearly a full dining room, with customers ordering food up until closing. 

The bistro announced its opening on Facebook, with more than 125 comments by 4 p.m. and 650 reactions to the post. 

“It was great; we were busy all day,” Beau Blackledge, a manager, said. “Everyone seemed happy and seemed like they loved the food.”

The bistro, an extension of the popular Quitman-based restaurant, will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. 

“Before today we had to make all of our breads, our dressing and all of the sauces; everything is made fresh daily,” Blackledge said. “And, having a bistro downtown, we had to get all of the permits and the certificates and everything.”

Owner Mimmo Rendina said in September that the bistro hoped to open by the end of October but Blackledge said getting those permits caused the delay. 

The location will be Rendina’s third opening, with another restaurant in Laurel. Unlike the restaurants in Laurel and Quitman, the bistro will specifically cater to a lunchtime crowd. 

“A lot of these are Mimmo’s family recipes,” Blackledge said. “It’s a faster version of what you might get in Quitman and Laurel but it’s still not fast food. It’s fast but it’s all Mimmo’s recipes.”