Decor and Details

Interior Inspiration

Prati Italia is the only locally-owned and operated restaurant built from the ground-up at the highly successful Town Center shopping and dining district in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Originally built in 2013 for Chef Tom Gray's Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails, the restaurant was transformed in early 2020 into Gray's contemporary Italian restaurant Prati Italia.  Atlanta-based design firm, ai3, which designed the original Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails space, worked with Gray to bring the Prati Italia interior theme to life. The refreshed design includes a new emerald green and white color palette; upholstery; patio enhancements; bar and lounge furniture; as well as a new glass partition system for the lower-level private dining spaces. Graphics and interior signage were designed by Temper, Inc. 

In 2016, the restaurant was voted from among 32 standout design projects with the “People’s Choice Award” by the American Institute for Architecture (AIA) Florida for our unique, eco-aware, efficient space.

Prati Italia's Unique Design Elements

Many of the restaurant's original signature design elements remain unchanged from its earlier iteration, including the unique Maine Heritage Timber reclaimed wood tables, ceilings, bartops and wall accents. 

Maine Heritage Timber, located in Millinocket, specializes in high-quality wood products created using sunken virgin-growth timber lost to Maine’s Penobscot River during the height of the logging gold rush. For over 100 years, this wood has been preserved under nature's frigid cover resulting in stunning hues, tight grains and unique character and charm.

~ Table Tops: Made with spruce/fir and oak, and mixed with metal to achieve Chef Tom's vision.
~ Beams Overhead (main dining room / downstairs bar): Made from spruce logs, originally intended for delivery to cities during the industrial revolution in the mid 1800s.
~ Floating Bar Tables (upstairs bar area): End grains and rings accentuate the meld of metal and wood.
~ Outdoor Tables: Destined for use in British ship building in the early 1800s, these classic pine tables feature original patinas.
~ Wall Treatments & Outdoor Benches: Spruce and fir cut in the mid 1800s.
~ Front Landscape Bench: Made of Douglas fir that was first shipped by railcar from Washington and Oregon in the early 1900s. Originally used as booms to corral the wood in the water, this beautiful non-indigenous species is a living part of history.

DESIGN CREDITS

Building Architecture + Interior Design:
AI3, Atlanta, GA

Kitchen + Bar Design:
Next Step Design, Annapolis, MD

Graphic Design & Signage Design:
Temper, Inc, Jacksonville, FL

Reclaimed Wood + Handcrafted Furniture:
Maine Heritage Timber, Millinocket, ME