Milo's Deli in Franklinton to reopen after 11-year closure

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Franklinton deli is returning to the Columbus neighborhood more than 10 years after it closed.

Milo's Deli is reopening later this summer at 401 W. Town St., owner Louie Pappas announced on social media. The deli is taking over the space previously home to Strongwater Food & Spirits, which closed in 2023 before being purchased by Pappas. Since then, Pappas has continued to operate Strongwater's event venue through his own catering business, Milo's Catering.

"Franklinton has long been home for the Pappas family operations, and we're thrilled to be back with the reimagining of Milo's Deli," the company's site states.

The original deli opened in 1998 at 980 W. Broad St. but closed 16 years later in 2014 as the catering business continued to grow. The West Broad Street property remains under Pappas' ownership as the headquarters for Milo's Catering.

Pappas is the brother of Michael Pappas, the owner of Franklinton's Tommy's Diner at 914 W. Broad St. The diner was founded more than 30 years ago by the brothers' father, Athanasios "Tommy" Pappas, who died in December last year. Tommy's was featured earlier in 2024 on Guy Fieri's Food Network show "Diners, Dive-ins and Dives."

Milo's site states they're currently in the process of building out the space and menu, with an exact opening to be announced at a later date.