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Four longtime friends are hoping to jumpstart the nightlife scene in their neighborhood.
“We’ve been sitting back for so long now — it’s two years — now it’s time to try to loosen up a little bit,” said Paul Capoziello, co-owner of Franklin Social, Franklin Square’s new restaurant and lounge. “We have a social environment to welcome not only people from the Frank Square area, where all the owners are from, but to also bring people from outside to socialize a little bit more and see what Franklin Square has.”
Capoziello teamed with brothers Henry and Manny Castineiras and Vinny Lapuma to launch Franklin Social at 368 Dogwood Ave.
Their first day open to the the public was Wednesday evening.
The owners are going for a classy and trendy atmospheres with fun nightlife appeal, they said.
“We’d like for people to feel good about themselves again, put something nice on, wear those new pair of shoes you haven’t been able to wear,” Capoziello said. “You don’t have to drive into Manhattan, you don’t have to drive into Garden City or Rockville Centre, we’re right here.”
The establishment will host a ladies night and a mixologist on a weekly basis.
“We always say there’s not really a place for us to go with our wives,” he added. “It’s a new place, not a rah rah sports bar with the beer and wings.”
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Now to the food and drinks.
At Franklin Social, diners can order items such as caponata, braised eggplant, olives, peppers with grilled peasant bread, or the grilled baby lamb chops. There’s also cauliflower tempura with a cherry pomegranate and habanero sauce and a trio of rice balls.
The restaurant also offers larger artisanal options, like its buttermilk chicken sandwich with pickle, cole slaw, and special sauce. It also serves the 50-50 Smash, a bacon beef burger smashed with hot pepper bacon jam, red onion and cheddar cheese, as well as the gringo empanada trio stuffed with braised short rib, pork and buffalo chicken.
The bar has 10 IPAs on tap and carries cans from local breweries like West Hampton Beach Brewing Co. and Oceanside’s Barrier Brewing Co.
With the coffee machine behind the bar, bar tenders concoct the espresso martini. The restaurant also serves cappuccinos, and an affogato dessert, which is espresso poured over cacao gelato.
There are plenty more desserts like the house made zabaglione with caramelized peaches, Grand Marnier and Mike’s Hot Honey, and the panna cotta with Campari vermouth and negroni granita.
Franklin Social is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4p.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays the Saturdays from 4 p.m. to midnight. Capoziello said the joint closes early out of respect for nearby neighbors.
The early turn-in also helps solidify the owners’ objective.
“We’d like to be the first stop, not the last stop,” they said.
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