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Joey Z first changed his restaurant’s name and transformed its menu by adding authentic, Italian dishes. Now, the established downtown Port Jefferson restaurant is bringing Brooklyn-style pizza to 217 Main Street.
Joey Z’s Restaurant, formerly known as Z Pita, rebranded back in fall and now offers both traditional Italian recipes and Mediterranean classics.
Joe Zangrillo, the restaurant owner, recently took it one step further in paying homage to his Italian heritage by opening up Joey Z’s Brooklyn Pizza Company on March 27.
“Being 100 percent Italian, I grew up on pizza,” said Zangrillo — locals know him as “Joey Z.” “Everyone has a different or favorite type of pizza, so we are trying to appeal to everyone and whatever style of pizza they like.”
Zangrillo said he planned to open the pizza shop in its own location, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to hold off and open the shop inside Joey Z’s Restaurant temporarily.
“We were and still are looking for four locations, but when the pandemic hit, we pulled back, he said. “So, we brought a pizza oven to Joey Z’s and started cooking.”
Joey Z’s Brooklyn Pizza Co. offers a wide variety of pizza styles, toppings, and more. This includes thin-crust pizza, thick crust pizza, deep dish, gluten-free, and vegan pies. The pizza shop also has boxed-up slices to-go.
“People are loving that we have so many different options,” Zangrillo said. “Our concept was to make not just one style of pizza, but many to appeal to everyone.”
Burgers, salads, and chicken quesadillas are other options customers can choose from. The owner said pizza-lovers can finish dinner off with one of their desserts, such as tiramisu or cannolis.
Zangrillo said once it is safe to do so, he plans to open several locations by the end of 2021. Joey Z’s Brooklyn Pizza will also soon be adding hero and dinner options; late-night delivery service is in the future too.
The restaurant is currently open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Click here for the menu.
Check out our previous coverage on Joey Z’s Restaurant:
