Lazzara Foods Investment Opportunity
OVERVIEW
Experienced Operators - Extensive Track Record - Sterling Reputation
AUTHENTICITY
The Lazzara Brothers have continued their family’s long and historic tradition in the restaurant business after being raised as children in their family’s restaurant operations. Their own business endeavors began 35 years ago in 1985 when Sebastian and Tony purchased their father’s and uncle’s restaurant on W 38th St in Manhattan. At this location they established Lazzara’s Pizza Cafe & Restaurant which has become a staple of authenticity in the Fashion District and is still satisfying its clientele today with homemade Italian specialties and fresh grandma style pizza. (scroll down for Lazzara family history)
In 1997 brother Danny bought the existing Libretti’s, a long established family run Italian bar, restaurant and catering hall in Orange, NJ. He fine tuned its operations and dazzled the suburban community with the same consistent quality and Lazzara authenticity that has sustained them for decades.
Demand for their product grew and in 2019, the brother’s began offering their Lazzara Pizza Brand to a nationwide audience. They are currently preparing to add a line of several other homemade staples to their roster of nationally distributed products and their ecommerce site is under development.
The next venture planned is another Lazzara Bar & Restaurant. This free standing building’s comprehensive set-up includes Parking, Full Liquor Bar, Private Dining Rooms and Extensive Outdoor Seating in Staten Island, NY. The brothers understand that the demand for restaurant dining is about to explode as many operations will not have survived the devastating consequences of Covid-19. These consequences which experts say will cause as many as 50-60% of restaurants to close their doors permanently will provide enormous opportunity to all new and existing restaurants that survive as there will not be enough restaurants to service the huge surge in demand that will occur as the pandemic subsides and life returns to normal.
The Brothers are seeking an investor so they can expand their current business and open the new restaurant to exploit this once in a century phenomenon. They have hired reputable Restaurant Consultant and Designer Raymond Haldeman for guidance to assist them. Please contact Tony Lazzara 917-716-4626 for more info and financials.
Experienced Operators - Extensive Track Record - Sterling Reputation
AUTHENTICITY
LAZZARA FAMILY ENTERPRISE
221 W 38th St, NY, NY 10018
Pizza Cafe and Italian Restaurant established in 1985 by brothers Sebastian & Tony. Pizza, Italian Specialties, dine-in, take-out, and catering. An established institution fashion district for over 35 years.
554 Nassau Street, Orange, New Jersey 07050
This full service Italian Restaurant. Bar and Catering Hall was already operating for over 40 years when brother Danny purchased it in 1997. Danny maintained its stellar reputation and has operated it successfully for the last 23 years!
In 2019, brother Tony introduced the Lazzara Pizza Brand to a nationwide market, delivering 4 varieties of frozen pizza across the country. They are currently expanding their product line to include pizza dough, pizza sauce, and salad dressing, and adding an ecommerce site to support it.
Pizza Box Packaging for Nationwide Distribution
Product Packagingfor Nationwide Distributioin
286 Richmond Valley Rd
Staten Island, NY
The Brothers currently have an LOI on a 10,000SF bar & restaurant in Staten Island, NY. The building is fitted out with a bar, kitchen, dining room, 2 private party rooms and 2 extensive outdoor dining areas. After cosmetic renovations, the restaurant will be launched in 2021 with the same consistent Lazzara authenticity and masterful “hands-on” operational experience that has been the foundation of the brother’s sustained success for decades.
MEET THE BROTHERS
SEBASTIAN LAZZARA
Sebastians career in the restaurant business began as a young boy at one of the first Lazzara restaurants located at 369 Jay St. in Brooklyn. He started selling Italian ices outside and learned how to make his first Pizza at the age of 9!. At the familyʼs next restaurant, 2 blocks away on Fulton St. across from the A&S department store Sebastian began to climb the culinary ladder and worked summers as a bonafide Pizza Man.
As the family business grew, so did his skillset and in addition to shopping for fresh seafood at the Fulton Street Fish Market every morning before the 6AM breakfast shift, he learned how to work the grill and sharpen his knife skills. After a promotion to sous chef he perfected the art of making fresh pasta and Italian entrees for lunch and dinner service.
In the early 80’s the young chef became a partner at “Willyʼs” a German Pub & Grill on William St. at Beekman in downtown Manhattan. Here he rounded out his cooking knowledge and learned how to cook German dishes while attending Bartending School at night.
In 1985 Sebastian and his brother Tony purchased “Heroine” Restaurant at 221 West 38th St. NYC, from his father and uncle and created “Lazzaraʼs Pizza Cafe”. For the last 35 years he has been the head Chef and Pizza man of this iconic staple of the Fashion District known for its authenticity.
When the family purchased the “Oriental Manor” Catering Hall in Brooklyn, Sebastian served as Maitreʼd on the weekends overseeing large formal functions.
TONY LAZZARA
Tony was indoctrinated into the Lazzara family work ethic at a young age. He was 7 when he began working with his dad at “House of Lazzara” at 205 Pearl St, near the South Street Seaport. Every summer he learned more about the restaurant business “from the ground up” and continued to work at the family restaurant when he was in college. While attending The Center for Media Arts in NYC he became an intern at Bernie Fox and Larry Harlows Studio and also worked in the Drum department on 48th St at Manny’s Music. Ultimately, although he loved the music business, it did not offer stability and a consistent income.
In 1985, fate came calling and he joined his brother Sebastian and together they bought out their father and uncle’s restaurant and created Lazzara’s Pizza Cafe & Restaurant. Tony handled the marketing and advertising and soon the business began to flourish and established itself as an authentic staple of the fashion district. Big names in the fashion industry, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, and Vera Wang were frequent customers and added to the popularity and allure of the authentic eatery.
Tony is now directing the expansion of their wholesale division “Lazzara Foods” offering nationwide delivery of their famous pizza, and a new roster of flash frozen foods.
Danny Lazzara
Danny came from humble beginnings back when he worked for his father as a busboy in the family’s restaurant in NYC where his family has been in the restaurant business for over half a century. Danny attended the New York Restaurant Culinary School in ‘93 and simultaneously worked as MaitreD/Manager of The Oriental Manor Catering Hall in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He honed his cooking skills as Assistant Chef at Cascabel in Soho where he worked with celebrity New York Chef Tom Valenti. While his brothers ran Lazzara’s in Manhattan, Danny continued rounding out his skill set at Cafe Del Mondo in Staten Island under the watchful eye of Chef Franco Francese. In 1997 he ventured out on his own and took over Libretti's a long established Bar, Restaurant and Catering Hall in Orange, NJ. He has successfully operated the business for the last 23 years and Libretti’s has become a local institution and a second home to the Orange community!.
THE LAZZARA FAMILY STORY
The Lazzara's family tradition of restaurant excellence began with the Lazzara Brother’s father Antonio and uncle Sal who, in the late 50s immigrated to the US from the small town of Vizzini in the province of Catania in the southeastern corner of Sicily. Salvatore and Antonino started their first restaurant "The Continental" in the early 1960s in Manhattan on 2nd Avenue. Over the next 10 years they grew exponentially and opened several pizzerias throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan.
In the mid 70’s the Antonio and Sal opened “House of Lazzara” 205 Pearl Street NYC, a cafeteria style restaurant and bar that accommodated over 200.. During the late 1980’s they acquired The Oriental Manor Catering Hall at 1818 86th St in Bay Ridge Brooklyn NY, a Catering Hall that could accommodate 600, and over 700 on the 2nd floor. The Hall, well known in its own right for the hundreds of elaborate weddings and parties it catered also garnered a bit of infamy when Martin Scorsese chose the Ballroom to film the Wedding scene featured in the acclaimed hit movie, ”GoodFellas.”
Antonio’s sons, brothers Sebastian, Tony and Danny were born into these establishments and have benefited immensely by the comprehensive groundwork laid by their family’s restaurants and the wisdom and experience passed on to them. The restaurant business is in their blood as evidenced by their lifelong commitment and sustained success which will surely carry them into the future with their new ventures.
Experienced Operators - Extensive Track Record - Sterling Reputation
AUTHENTICITY
CONTACT
TONY LAZZARA
917-716-4626
