Four Great Neck families have collaborated to create a new pizzeria that they say is not intended to serve food but to help rejuvenate Village of Great Neck’s business district.
“Our collective vision between the owners and management is to help bring the downtown of Great Neck back to the way it was,” Pizza Roxx co-owner Melissa Zargari said. “We are so grateful to Mayor Bral and the entire village for their growing support and encouragement as we prepare to officially open our doors.”
Pizza Roxx is one of the newest additions on Middle Neck Road. Despite being in business for less than a month, the store has already attracted a handful of the Great Neck youth with their modern take on the pizza industry as a whole.
“Honestly we’ve been exceeding our expectations since our soft opening started in late November,” Zargari said. “The community has responded so positively already. It means so much to have people of all ages be so supportive of us and the restaurant.”
The restaurant, located at 509 Middle Neck Road, sees plenty of foot traffic when they open their doors for the lunch rush. Being walking distance away from synagogues, North High, E.M. Baker Elementary, and the Village Green allow for many in the community to be frequent customers.
“Picking this location was so integral to the future of the business,” Zargari said. “We are in the heart of this community, providing a service to people that inspired us to set up shop here.”
Each of the four families that helped create Pizza Roxx resides in Great Neck. Though one of the owners has previous experience in the industry with several pizzerias in New York City, Zargari said Pizza Roxx has a unique and sentimental aspect to it.
When first walking into the restaurant, customers are greeted with colorful swatches of celebrities and musical legends, a vibrant array of spray-painted walls, and a neon light sign that appropriately reads “say cheese” over a wall of foliage.
Zargari said that one of the ways that Pizza Roxx stands out compared to other pizza places in the area is because of their ability to cater to a broader audience.
“Our thought process for the design wasn’t just about what looked cool to us or what we liked,” Zargari said. “We had to think about what the younger generation would like to see and combine that with some of the aspects that make traditional pizzerias successful. We want the atmosphere here to have a positive vibe for people when they walk in”
To properly cater to a diverse community, Zargari said that it was important to make a kosher menu so everyone could have something they enjoy. Since keeping kosher does not allow for pies with meat toppings on them, the staff had to get a little creative with their choices for specialty ones.
“We wanted the kosher menu so that everyone had a reason to come and eat here,” Zargari said. “There have been so many experimental pies that we’ve tried, we’ve been testing a million different things.”
Though the menu has not yet been finalized, the store has posted Instagram pictures of a s’mores pie drizzled with chocolate syrup, a tater tot pie, and a buffalo-broccoli cauliflower pie.
Aside from pizza, Zargari said that a full kitchen will be included after the grand opening which will serve other entrees such as fish and pasta and desserts like cereal-infused ice cream.
“Every time we have people come into the store, they will come with some really intriguing suggestions for new pies or dishes that we can include,” Zargari said. “We try to accommodate everyone and a part of that is us being receptive to our customers and taking what they say into consideration.”
The pizzeria’s hours will accommodate around Shabbat, and Zargari said they will stay open for two hours after it has ended on Saturday nights.
While the grand opening ribbon is waiting to be cut, Zargari and her team are putting together the final touches that, she believes, will make Pizza Roxx the go-to slice spot in Great Neck.
“We are so excited to be a part of the business district,” Zargari said. “I’m confident that our team will do everything necessary to keep our doors open for as long as possible.”
