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“I wanted to bring this location back to its glory days, back to the time when I was growing up and it was a staple of the community.”
That’s the inspiration behind Villa Roma, a new Italian restaurant John Parini is preparing to open at 73 Howells Road in Bay Shore.
The space was once home to Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, a neighborhood favorite that operated there for about 40 years before closing four years ago, making way for Marcony Pasta & Pizza.
Parini said he remembers eating at Joe’s often as a Bay Shore High School student.
“My friends and I loved Joe’s. There was nothing better,” he told Greater Long Island.
Parini, a Bay Shore native, is no stranger to the restaurant business either.
Over the past eight years, he has owned several pizzerias across Suffolk County, and his family has operated Nicky’s Clam Bar at the Bay Shore ferry terminal for decades, as well as Nicky’s on the Bay.
“I remember helping out when I was seven years old,” he said. “Bussing tables, refilling the salad station — any way I could help out.”
The name Villa Roma is a tribute to another family restaurant: the former Villa Roma on Commack Road in Commack, once owned by Parini’s late grandfather.
He said he briefly considered bringing back the Joe’s name but ultimately decided against it out of respect for its original owner, Vinny.
“It was actually pretty cool — Vinny and his son stopped by during renovations,” Parini said. “They remembered me from when I was younger and wished me luck. That was great to hear.”
While the menu won’t mirror Joe’s exactly, Parini said Villa Roma will bring back some familiar touches, including the combo dinners that longtime customers may remember. The restaurant will also feature a full liquor license. An exact opening date hasn’t been announced yet, but Parini said he is aiming for early April.
“As a kid, I always dreamed of a place like this,” he said. “Other places were just pizza. This was more.”
Top: John Parini is preparing to open Villa Roma at 43 Howells Road in Bay Shore this spring. (Credit: courtesy)
