Mia's Caffé

Like Being Back at Grandma’s Table

Grandmas are always the best cooks. Right? Sure, unless it’s Grandpa! Gina Giuliano, owner of Mia’s Caffé, says her Grandpa Vince taught her how to cook all the old Italian recipes, secret family recipes all the way from Italy. Gina says, “There’s nothing like being from an Italian family. I come from a long line of great cooks who opened restaurants wherever they settled. My folks came to Mississippi in the early 1900’s and started feeding the railroad workers. They moved to Chicago and opened another restaurant, The Beanery. They tried to come up with as many different meats and things to put in baked beans as they could think of, to economically feed the workers in their area.”

Gina moved to Meridian in the 1980’s and raised her family of five children here. She bought the coffee shop, The Scarlet Cup, when the owner decided to sell. When property in a prime location downtown became available she decided to open her restaurant. All her family and friends have helped in the process. Her stepdaughter from New Orleans and her cousin from Texas came to Meridian to work in the restaurant. “Our cousins and relatives were always the people you ate lunch with, at Grandma’s, every Sunday after church. With such a large family, you grew up playing with your cousins, etc., and they became your friends, too,” adds Gina. “We were a very tight-knit family.”

Mia’s offers a variety of menu items, breakfast, brunch, sandwiches, pizzas, frittatas, shrimp and grits, eggs benedict, cakes, pies, gelato, paninis, pasta, and authentic Italian meatballs. Specialty coffee drinks are always available. Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses are available at Mia’s by the slice or the pound. A brand trusted for over 115 years, their products are made of only the finest beef, pork, and poultry. They are one of only three American owned meat companies in the US. Customers who have been going to Tuscaloosa to get their Boar’s Head meats and cheeses can now come to Mia’s.

Her grandchildren helped inspire special items for kids with special plates, and silverware selected just for them, and favorite flavors of gelato. Books and games are also available to help keep the little ones occupied. Gina has relatives in Jackson who come to Meridian for staycations or weekend trips. “With all the great restaurants, museums, Bonita Lakes, and other places to visit, we are surrounded with amazing attractions,” states Gina. “I believe in this community, its people and its potential for growth. I think all of us should come together to make the community better. I work full-time at Citizens National Bank and I’m a member of the chamber because of the amazing things I saw the EMBDC, and Citizens National Bank do together to promote the community.” 

Family and friends are the glue that holds Mia’s together. Gina is especially grateful for the support from her husband Kenneth Schneider. When someone doesn’t show up for work, another member of the family steps right in. Gina believes every struggle is a learning opportunity in any business and every day is a new adventure. Plan to stop in soon at Mia’s Caffé for a taste of old school Italian food.  

Mia’s Caffe
2100 Front Street, Meridian, MS