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Two virtual businesses are getting their own brick and mortar thanks to a partnership with The Marketplace at 317 Main in Farmingdale.
Chef Eric LeVine of 317 Main has teamed up with Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company and French Boards and Bites NY to provide them with the space to showcase and sell their products.
“We’re looking to bring in other companies, like a true market, with their own business model that really jive with our philosophy of great quality food, customer service and creativity,” LeVine said. “We all have the same vision of a place where people can have a great experience, as we grow it we’ll add more companies into it.”
Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company made its debut on Jan. 15 and French Boards and Bites NY is holding its grand opening on Tuesday, Jan. 18.
Meet the collaborators
Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company
Jim Serpico, a television producer, launched Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company in 2020, turning a longtime hobby into a secondary profession.
“[Baking] is something I did with my family every Sunday for many years,” Serpico said. “We all traveled to Italy together and took cooking classes, learned how to make fresh pasta in Florence, we would do that quite often and it led to us to making our own bread.”
Prosciutto bread became a family favorite and Serpico said he spent five years trying to perfect his own recipe.
While home with his sons during the start of the pandemic in March 2020, they created an Instagram account called Side Hustle Bread to show off his doughy creations. The account blew up with people asking where they can buy Serpico’s bread.
And soon enough, he was invited to table at his first farmer’s market, he said.
“One thing led to another and it became a bigger demand and we taught ourselves how to make lots of things we didn’t know how to make before,” Serpico said.
Jim Serpico, owner of Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company
A loyal customer who sells real estate in Farmingdale approached Serpico when he was still a newbie in the bread game asking if he wanted a storefront in the town.
Serpico says at the time he wasn’t interested, but around Christmas time this past year, this same customer bought bread from him at a festival and he told him about the opportunity at 317 Main’s marketplace.
The next day he got a call from the owner Joe Fortuna and that same day he sealed the deal with him and chef LeVine.
“It really kind of happened out of nowhere, but it’s a situation that we think is a win for both of us,” he said.
He says Side Hustle is known for its “spin” on freshly-baked bread with no preservatives.
Some crowd favorites include Side Hustle’s sourdough and semolina baguettes, which Serpico adds are made “the old-fashioned way” with a natural starter and a 24-hour fermentation process.
“We try to raise the bar,” Serpico said. “It’s very exciting for us and we feel like we have been given an opportunity to do something really special.”
Side Hustle Artisanal Bread Company will sell its products six days a week at The Marketplace at 317.
French Boards and Bites NY
Hanane Rasuli grew up in a small village just 30 minutes outside Paris and when she moved to the United States seven years ago, she brought her customs along with her.
“Cheese and charcuterie were always part of my life growing up,” Rasuli said. “During the pandemic, I was looking to start a business, and I’ve made charcuterie boards since I was a teen, so I decided to take the step.”
In December 2020, French Boards and Bites NY was born.
SInce then, Rasuli’s company has served over 600 families and companies across Long Island and New York City.
The entrepreneur says she finds joy in creating charcuterie boards and small appetizers for others to enjoy at their gatherings.
French Boards and Bites NY specializes in arranging grazing tables, charcuterie boards and edible arrangements.
In November 2021, chef LeVine reached out to her and she knew from the first meeting it would be a great partnership, she said.
“He’s an amazing chef and person,” she said. “It was really exciting for me.”
Rasuli says she will fully operate from 317 Main’s kitchen.
Those who visit the Marketplace can find a variety of small and large charcuterie boards, as well as boxes like her popular Parisian breakfast box, which includes parfaits, croissants, fresh-pressed orange juice, nutella and jam, and more.
These items are also available as grab and go options; customers can place orders for pickup and delivery too.
“People really love that little French touch to it,” Rasuli said.
French Boards and Bites is available six days a week at the 317 Marketplace starting Jan. 18.
For more information and updates on what these two businesses are up to, visit their Instagram pages (@frenchboardsandbitesny and @sidehustlebread) or check out The Marketplace at 317’s social media.
Top photo: Hanane Rasuli, owner of French Boards and Bites NY.
