Ciccino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant has a new location on Castle Street in Geneva, relocated from Exchange Street where it operated for 16 years.
“We needed something a little larger than we were currently in,” said owner Salvatore Franzone. “So we decided to move a half-mile up the road and re-invented the concept. It’s a limited service, quick-service operation instead of our full-service/quick-service combination that we had in the past.”
The dining room has seating for 50 people. The furniture came from the old location. And they can fit up to 16 pizzas in a heated display space.
Back in 1996, Franzone opened the flagship store in Waterloo. Then in 2006, he opened a second location, which was a small take-out delivery pizzeria and had seating for about 20 people. In 2012 they expanded to a full-service restaurant in Geneva, but he realized they needed a change of venue.
“Going through Covid, we learned a lot,” he added. “We adapted a lot of our functions and methods to be as efficient as possible. That being said, we took a look at our lease being up, our space we were in, what we needed in functionality and decided we needed to move. This space was available, and we came to a 35-hundred square foot facility that is designed to pump out pizza and Italian fare as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Franzone said the most popular item on the menu is still pizza, with chicken wings coming in at a close second.
“Our char broiled chicken wings,” he said. “In this area we were one of the flagship restaurants to be able to offer it in Seneca County. We mix the chicken wings in the sauce, throw it on the grill, sear the sauce in it. It gives it a different flavor with smokiness. People love it.”
Rebecca is a veteran multimedia journalist serving as one of our core reporters in the Finger Lakes region. She is responsible for telling stories that matter to every day Upstate New Yorkers. Have a question or lead? Send it to [email protected].