After having customers prod him for years to build a bigger bar, Vinny Rosano, owner of Rocco’s Family Restaurant in New City, is doing just that.
When the space next door went out, he swooped in, excited to expand and renovate.
Set to open in two to three weeks, the main changes are happening in the bar area, which he’s nicknamed Rocco’s Social, as well as the kitchen.
Once complete, diners can expect new bar menu items with personal pies, small plates and appetizers. He also plans to offer a happy hour along with a few surprises.
The family-style pizzeria/restaurant, which his parents founded in 1981, was last renovated with mostly cosmetic changes in 1993.
Lots of restaurant news in New City
This marks the third wave of restaurant news in New City over the past five months. Craft Taqueria led the charge in November with an expansion that introduced new menu items and an expanded dining room and bar. Then in February, The Breakfast & Burger Club, which debuted in Nyack five years ago, revealed plans to open a second location this spring in the former home of The Place.
This larger space gives the restaurant a sizeable outdoor patio — something they don’t have in Nyack —as well as a fireplace in the center of the dining room. The owners will also be adding new features including a coffee bar, an ice cream bar and an actual bar with fun cocktails.
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland restaurant expanding. What we know about changes at Rocco’s
Reporting by Jeanne Muchnick, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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