By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
With construction basically complete, and the only outstanding piece being a final approval for a liquor license, La Bionda, on North Main Street, is preparing to open, taking the place of what was once Mia Sorella.
But when customers enter, they will find no traces of how the building used to look.
”Nothing remains (from the former restaurant),” said La Bionda General Manager Arturo Zeka. “We purchased everything new.”
Spending about $325,000 on new furniture and construction, Mr. Zeka said, they completely gutted the building after closing on the property May 30. They have redone everything to improve the kitchen, including changing the layout and replacing the rotting hardwood floor that was previously in place, he said.
”There was 7-inch thick hardwood floor on the top,” he said. “And the plumbing was leaking.”
With the renovations complete, and a more contemporary feel in place, Mr. Zeka said he is looking forward to opening within the next week or so.
”I can’t wait to see this place booming,” he said, looking around Monday at the tiled bar and rows of tables in the front room. “I can’t wait to start making money (instead of just spending it on construction). This is what I love to do.”
With the help of an interior decorator, Mr. Zeka said, they designed the restaurant with yellow walls, blue ocean tiles and furniture that makes it “contemporary” and “fun.” Some of the pictures are designed to fit in with the name of the restaurant, which translates to “The Blond.”
”The name comes from the fact that owner Frank Cotroneo’s wife has blonde hair,” he said with a laugh, adding that many of the pictures on the walls including those of Peanuts character Sally and other females were hung to fit in with the name.
Mr. Zeka said, aside from the bar itself, it boasts a dining room, as well as a banquet hall in the back, which he intends to use sometimes as a nightclub and sometimes for catered events.
”(The banquet hall) has room for about 150 people,” he said. “There will be a party menu, and packages for weddings, corporate affairs and birthdays, (among others).”
When just being used as a nightclub, Mr. Zeka said, he is planning to have a DJ perform, and is looking to place a keyboard at the front entrance for musical entertainment near the bar.
In addition to the quality of the appearance, Mr. Zeka said he is also proud of the food selection that will be offered, including hamburgers and similar foods at the bar, and Italian cuisine in the main dining room, such as pastas, fish and veal. He said they will also be serving several sushi platters.
”And the prices are not going to be expensive,” he said, adding similar restaurants charge exorbitant prices for the same kinds of food. “We are going to be affordable, not high end with cost.”
Although these lower costs are being offered at a time when many people are struggling with job losses and a lack of funds, Mr. Zeka said he is not worried about opening a new business in the current economy.
”People still have to eat,” he said. “They will cut corners in some areas, but they still have to go out and eat.”
For Mr. Zeka, this is the exact right time to be opening his restaurant.
”It is the perfect time because I think the economy has already reached the bottom,” he said. “It can’t get worse.”
According to Mr. Zeka, Mr. Cotroneo is also the former owner of Equus, a restaurant in Bernardsville, as well as part-owner of Italian restaurant Café Emila, in Bridgewater. Mr. Zeka was formerly with Equus, which they have sold as of the end of the year.
Now, Mr. Zeka said, he can focus his attention on La Bionda, which he believes will thrive in Manville.
”This is a great location,” he said. “People thought I was crazy to pick this place, but it is in the middle of so many other towns, like Montgomery, Bridgewater and Hillsborough. Coming here is not too far to travel for a good meal.”
At this point, Mr. Zeka said, there has been a buzz around town about the opening, even though the only advertising he has done has been through word of mouth. Still, he said, people are constantly trying to find out when he is officially opening.
”There are not many places like this in Manville,” he said. “People are looking forward to a nice sit-down place to eat.”
For now, Mr. Zeka said, as soon as the restaurant receives its liquor license, it will be ready to open. He plans to have a celebration for the friends and family members of workers on a Sunday, before opening to the public on the following day. The exact date is unknown while his paperwork for the license is reviewed as all other inspections have been successfully conducted but he anticipates it happening in the next couple of weeks.
Still, Mr. Zeka, who lives in Bridgewater, is looking forward to the opportunities that will come with opening the restaurant in a location that is always heavy with traffic as people pass, by car and on foot, along Main Street.
”We are very happy being in Manville,” he said. “There is a different attitude, and people are very welcoming and very excited.”
For more information about the restaurant, call 908-595-1599.
