Watch out New York, a brand new pizzeria is bringing a slice of Little Italy up to Times Square.
There’s no shortage of pizza restaurants in New York City, that’s true, but few pizzerias are ever big enough to make it to the international tourist Mecca known to us as Times Square. Home to the shoguns of New York hospitality, Times Square is a vibrant market rife with potential for restaurateurs bold enough to take on the crowds at the world’s busiest intersection.
Little Italy Pizza is a new restaurant concept from owner Mona Kaplan. Mona has been working in the neighborhood for years and you may have even sampled her pizza without even knowing it. She was behind Rosa Pizza and Mona George Pizza, both of which have developed outposts at 1 Penn Plaza. Additionally, Mona is behind Bleecker Street Pizza, the pizzeria that bares the rare honor of being this author’s personal favorite.
Now, Mona is getting ready to develop a brand new pizza concept for 303 West 42nd Street. The location was previously home to Times Scare, a popular haunted house that brought gothic frights to crowds of New York tourists. The location is expected to seat about 40 guests at one time, and will be located entirely on the ground floor of the building.
For the menu, you can expect a wide variety of traditional pizzas like pepperoni, Sicilian (red and white), sausage, vegetables, and chicken ricotta. Little Italy will also sell Italian specialties like eggplant rolls pepperoni rolls, calzones, and garlic knots, as well as side salads and fountain sodas. Additionally, Mona is hoping to acquire a beer, wine, and cider license for Little Italy and is preparing to meet with the community board to discuss her proposal. She is currently proposing operating hours of 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM every day, seven days a week. While you wait for Little Italy to open, you can check out Mona’s other Little Italy Pizza on 33rd Street to get a taste of what to expect at the new space.
