La Cecilia in East Patchogue set to expand menu and open its dining room in August

With her pizzeria and Italian restaurant, La Cecilia, Marta Florczyk fulfilled a lifelong dream she inherited from her mother.

“The name is after my mom, she’s Cecilia,” Florczyk said. “This was her dream, for me to have my own business. I always dreamed to have my own business, but I was always looking into more of an ice cream shop. I was thinking like gelatos and some kind of pastries.”

Instead of sweet treats, Florczyk settled on pizza and Italian delights. She opened La Cecilia back in November of 2021 and focused on her pizza parlor offerings.

At the counter, customers can order a variety of slices. There’s also paninis, wraps and garlic and cheese pepperoni rolls.

Now, Florczyk is set to open La Cecilia’s dining room in August, where she will launch a new full-service menu.

Over the past eight months, she’s been playing the long game, building relationships in the East Patchogue community, as she grows her business. She describes the restaurant at 655 Montauk Highway as “a space where I can create my own family between me, my restaurant and the customers.”

“I was thinking this would be a good spot for them and for me to give myself a chance to grow and them to be satisfied with quality food,” she said.

While she has not yet revealed an official menu, she offered a glimpse of what it will include.

“It’s going to be traditional Italian food,” she said of the dining room. “[Diners] will be able to have a seat and enjoy a glass of wine or beer.

“And the first traditional things are chicken parm, chicken francese, chicken marsala and chicken madeira,” she continued.

By the end of this year, Florczyk hopes to make her own desserts in the restaurant. She loves to bake at home, and is particularly eager to serve gelato.

“The gelato, it’s really for my mom because she used to own an ice cream shop in my country,” she explained. “She made the ice cream home, and they had a little kiosk on the street for summer time.”