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Tap Room is planting a flag in the heart of Garden City’s restaurant row.
The owners of the rapidly growing Long Island gastro pub concept have taken over the old Calogero’s location at 919 Franklin Ave., along with a salon that had operated next door.
That all happened last Wednesday, and demolition started the next day. This will be the company’s seventh Long Island location, with more on the way.
“Demo is done already. We moved really fast and are about to start construction,” Tap Room co-owner James Bonanno told Greater Long Island on Thursday.
Bonanno and his longtime bartender buddy, Dave Johnson, opened their first location in 2011 in Patchogue before expanding later into Massapequa Park, Bay Shore and beyond.
And all along, Garden City had been high on their wish list.
“We’re from Suffolk but everything I knew about Nassau as a kid was in Garden City,” Bonanno said. “I had family that grew up there and it was one community I knew really well from all the family parties with my cousins, aunt and uncle.”
And Johnson actually earned his early bartending stripes serving drinks at the TGI Friday’s in nearby Westbury, back in the Fridays’ heyday.
“We always said it’s a great community and a great area and we’d like to do business there one day, so we’re excited this opportunity came up and we [finally] found a spot,” Bonanno said.
By expanding into the salon space, the latest Tap Room location is expected to hit Long Island this summer while stretching a full 5,000-square-feet on the main floor — with an expansive patio out back.
Not only that, Calogero’s had a full basement, which the Tap Room team will be fashioning in speakeasy style for private events. It’ll also be large enough to host as many as two parties at a time.
“Like with our other locations, we’re looking to contribute to the overall community,” Bonanno said. “We’re really looking forward to being that welcoming, casual spot serving fresh food … and it’s a spot that will play well for lunch, happy hour, dinner, sports and private events.”
The company has also undertaken work at The Core Station Yards complex that’s being built-out in Ronkonkoma, which will mark Tap Room’s eighth location on Long Island.
Tap Room currently operates in Patchogue, Bay Shore, Massapequa Park, Rockville Centre and Farmingdale, with its Jericho location having opened Dec. 14 at 1 Jericho Turnpike.
Tap Room e is known for its array of rotating craft beer, freshly made food, weekend brunches, trivia nights and live sports and entertainment gatherings. Photo Credit: Tap Room on Facebook.
