A new concept is coming to downtown Farmingdale.
Three new concepts, actually.
And all under one roof.
Opening this spring in the former Peanuts Nursery School at 202 Main Street is a three-level building that has something different to offer on each floor.
The new venture is founded by the ownership group behind Croxley’s Ale House, with locations in Farmingdale, Franklin Square and Rockville Centre, as well as Novita in Garden City.
Meet Joseph Mendolia, Jeff Piciullo, Chris Werle, Ed Davis, and Joe Rodriguez.
Here’s what to expect from their next, and most ambitious, project to date. We’ve included a breakdown of three floors of fun, each of which measure about 3,500 square feet.
Floor 1: ZUZU
Off the street, you’ll walk directly into ZUZU, a 70s-themed pizza parlor that serves up pies in a custom-made wood-fired oven, along with other classic Italian dishes such as fresh pastas and shareable antipasti dishes, and a full-service bar.
They’ll also be offering “moon calzones,” Greater Long Island learned.
“They’re basically round calzones,” said ZUZU co-owner Joseph Mendolia. “[We’re] taking two pieces and putting them on top of each other.”
This first floor also includes a take-out window for ice cream that faces Main Street, through which they’ll be dishing out the group’s house-made, soft serve ice cream, as well as Italian ices, shakes (including alcohol-infused), and proprietary ice cream sandwiches.
“We’re baking a thinner cake,” Mendolia said, describing the ice cream sandwiches. “Then making a sheet of ice cream, freezing it, and cutting it into squares.”
They’re looking to have seating for around 80 people on this level.
Floor 2: Crossbarn
Then, venturing upstairs, you’ll find Crossbarn, an event space with a terrace that overlooks the downtown.
The Crossbarn — the entire upstairs — has two rooms (Crossbarn East and Crossbarn West), both of which can be rented out for parties, such as weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations.
The ownership group has found that since the pandemic, people have been looking for alternative wedding venues instead of traditional catering halls. And they’re banking on this.
“A lot of people aren’t doing that 200-300 person wedding anymore,” said Mendolia. “They’re going smaller and quaint. And that’s when we came up with this idea.”
The rustic, barn-themed venue can host parties of over 100 people.
While it’s not fully built out yet, parties are already booking up for next year.
The basement: Sophia
Embed from Getty ImagesAt the bottom level, in the basement, you’ll find Sophia.
This classic bistro-style event space will be used for intimate gatherings of around 60 people, such as baby and wedding showers and cocktail parties.
The spot, inspired by Sophia Loren, will also be used for nighttime events by the company.
According to Mendolia, they’re looking to open sometime this month, or in June. Stay tuned with Greater Long Island for more details. Keep scrolling for even more photos.
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