New York’s Fellini Coffee is looking to open up a third outpost in the space formerly occupied by Foragers City Wine in Chelsea.
The concept was created by celebrity chef Franco Noriega who hosted a six-episode season of a cooking show on the Food Network called Hot Dish with Franco. The Peruvian-American who specializes in Latin and Italian cuisine is also behind a few other concepts in the West Village, including Baby Brasa, a contemporary Latin American fusion restaurant; Tivoli Trattoria, an Italian restaurant specializing in Sicilian cuisine; and Sakai Poke, a new Japanese-inspired poke bowl concept.
Franco describes himself on his website as a “chef and restaurateur with a keen eye for innovation” and “passion for both Peruvian and Italian cuisine.” The Lima born-and-raised model seeks to combine his “entrepreneurial spirit” with his “love of food” to create “memorable experiences.”
“Franco’s passion for entertaining is deeply rooted in his family, and he takes pride in creating dishes that are not only delicious but also time-efficient and easy to make, seamlessly fitting the New York lifestyle which is always on the go,” he writes on his website.
Franco moved to New York when he was 18-years-old to study at the French Culinary Institute.
Born to a family of restaurateurs and inspired by the diverse landscape of his homeland, he says he “developed an insatiable curiosity of cooking” at a young age. He got his start cooking with the help of his Italian grandmother who taught him culinary techniques.
Fellini Coffee boasts two outposts currently, one at 174 7th Avenue in the West Village and 120 Thompson Street in Soho.
Its menu includes below-market price coffee beverages including its signature drinks such as dolce vita for $5, dirty chai for $5, and “protein-ccino” for $8, as well as staple café beverages from an americano to a cortado, latte and cappuccino, well as Coca-Cola and San Pellegrino, charging an extra 1.50-$1 for non-dairy milks.
It also serves fare including a ham and cheese croissant for $8, pain au chocolat for $4.50, pistachio olive oil cake for $9, as well as an antipasti or formaggio for $18, margherita pizzetta for $10, prosciutto pizzetta for $14 and castelvetrano olives for $6.
The team is also seeking a liquor license, so that similar to its other locations it can serve wine, Prosecco and Aperol Spritz.
Its proposed hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. through 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. It is slated to offer two tables with nine seats, as well as one stand-up bar with 11 seats.
