Business

Islanders welcome back Bella Vita

JULIE LANE PHOTO You read it right. Bella Vita is open for business. Operator John Riccobono Jr. confirmed that the pizzeria and restaurant opened its doors two weeks ago, but the family wanted a “quiet opening” to see how things would go.
JULIE LANE PHOTO Bella Vita is open for business. Operator John Riccobono Jr. confirmed that the pizzeria and restaurant opened its doors two weeks ago, but the family wanted a “quiet opening” to see how things would go.

Shhh! Don’t tell.

But for those who can sniff their way to pizza from miles away, Bella Vita opened its doors on Route 114 at the former Clark’s Fish House venue about two weeks ago.The pizzeria is up and running and expecting to start table service this week, a fact they will advertise in the Reporter Thursday.

The pizzeria left the Center in December 2015 just as quietly as it opened again.

Owner John Riccobono has been overseeing the development of the new site, awaiting the arrival of equipment so the new restaurant could expand its menu and offer table service.

Last December, the doors of the former Bella Vita in the Center closed after Mr. Riccobono was unable to come to terms on a lease with landlord Dan Calabro.

Just what happened depends on who’s telling the story.

Mr. Riccobono said he began negotiations for a new lease for the space where the pizzeria operated for five years, but they were looking at a rental bill of $7,000 per month plus costs for utilities, repairs and some capital improvements. Those costs totalled more than $26,500 through the previous five years, Mr. Riccobono said.

Mr. Calabro said at the time that he couldn’t discuss specifics of the lease because it would be “illegal, libelous for me to get into the details.”

Nonetheless, he described a “triple net lease” that obligates the tenant to cover all costs, including real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance.

“It’s a standard commercial lease,” Mr. Calabro said.

That was too much for the Riccobono family. They packed up and took a lease on premises in Franklin Square.

But the family scouted around and finally settled on the space at the former Clark’s Fish House.

It took time for the Riccobonos to close out their lease in Franklin Square and then make the transition to a more full service restaurant where, besides their array of pizza, they’ll be offering what Mr. Riccobono has described as “every day blue collar food.”

Translation — spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmigiana and similar dishes.

“We feel at home here,” Mr. Riccobono said in April as he was preparing for the return. “It was always my intention to get back to the Island,” he said.

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