The building at 300 Farnsworth Ave. first opened as a bank in 1900 and most recently housed an ice cream shop before sitting dormant for a while.
By Joe Knox, Special Writer
BORDENTOWN CITY — The building at 300 Farnsworth Ave. first opened as a bank in 1900 and most recently housed an ice cream shop before sitting dormant for a while.
Passersby may be excited to find out what’s next for the site after seeing Gian Belardo, of Burlington Township, and Terry Loda, of Mercerville, working feverishly to get their new business up and running.
Paying homage to the bank-styled building, they are calling their new restaurant the Pizza Vault. The duo is planning to open an upscale, sit-down style pizzeria with a family-friendly atmosphere that allows customers to watch their pizzas being prepared. The new restaurant is slated to open the weekend of July 6.
”We just fell in love with the architecture of the building and have always loved the City of Bordentown because of all of the special town events that are held here,” Mr. Belardo said. “It just seems like a solid community of people.”
The restaurant owners have been making renovations to the building and planning for their grand opening since October 2012. The preparation process has been long and arduous due to the building’s age, which is approximately 113 years old.
Mr. Belardo and Mr. Loda said they wanted to make as few changes as possible to keep with the building’s original design. They decided against dropping the high ceiling to maintain the views from the enormous windows and the large plaster cast moldings throughout the interior. Their hope is to have patrons enjoy a dining experience in the old bank.
”That is the character and charm of this place that we based our design on.” Mr. Loda said,
The menu will include traditional pizzas like those served in Naples as well as several different salads, appetizers and paninis on rustic bread baked in a wood-fired oven.
As for dessert, there will be a selection of Ciao Bella gelatos and sorbets as well as dessert pizzas made with Nutella and fresh fruit. Nonalcoholic beverages will be sold on the premises, and the restaurant will allow patrons to bring their own alcoholic beverages.
”Our menu will grow as we continue to grow,” Mr. Loda said. “Neither of us will be satisfied just working off of a set menu. Be prepared to see a lot of specials to keep things fresh and evolving.”
The Pizza Vault will use quality ingredients in their products, Mr. Loda said, including mozzarella cheese made fresh from water buffalo milk, flour imported from Italy and San Marzano tomatoes.
The oven is the backbone of the establishment. Handmade in Naples, Italy, from crushed lava rock, the wood-fired oven cooks at 900 degrees.
Mayor Joseph Malone said, “We are very happy to see yet another fine eating establishment opening soon in Bordentown City. Any time a new business or restaurant opens in the city, it helps flourish the community, and we wish them the best of luck.”
The restaurant can serve up to 40 patrons at one time and will maintain a staff of about 10 employees.
The doors are slated to open to the public in early July. For further information, visit www.vaultpizzeria.com where visitors can register for a mailing list to receive updates about the Pizza Vault as they happen.