MERRICK, NY — A local restaurateur is expanding his Italian food options in Merrick. Lou Neglia is co-owner of Tony & Luigi Wood Fired Pizza on Merrick Road. Right next door, Neglia and his cousin Anthony St. George, both originally from Valley Stream, recently opened LouTony’s, which offers a less intimate setting.
They co-owned a La Bottega franchise for the past 15 years, until deciding to convert it to LouTony’s Italian Kitchen in June.
But it all started with St. George’s idea. When working for Neglia, who owned a mortgage bank, the 2008 financial crash happened, leaving them to reevaluate their career portfolios. Purchasing a La Bottega restaurant franchise would soon follow.
“I jumped on it, because we both weren’t happy,” he said.
It’s been a soft launch for LouTony’s, with the ribbon cutting and grand opening coming next week.
“We’re excited to expand with certain things that we were kind of limited on with the franchise,” he said.
He’s also excited to have the restaurant spaces connected.
“Our kitchen in Tony & Luigi’s is very small,” he said. “In the back, we share all the storage, so it compliments each other [nicely].”
But at this point, walls will keep the two restaurants divided.
“It’s more of a dine-in, night place [at Tony & Luigi’s] and this [LouTony’s] is a kind of 3-4 times a week. You have a salad, a panini,” Neglia said.
Even though the restaurants serve Italian food, “they are two separate kind of concepts.”
Just as the two restaurants bring different styles for customers, the owners bring different styles to the front office.
“My cousin is more of the day-to-day operations,” Neglia said. “I deal with more of the business [and] the food specials.”
When it comes to the daily menu at LouTony’s, options include pasta, vegetarian dishes, along with various appetizers.
Tony & Luigi, which opened in 2024, has more of the classic Italian restaurant favorites, like Gnocchi Bolognese and Momma’s Lasagna.
“We always had a passion for food,” Neglia said. “Every holiday was just cooking, eating [and] drinking. That’s what we grew up with.”
One item on the Tony & Luigi menu is an homage to those family gatherings — Grandma’s Sunday Sauce.
Neglia, who lives in Wantagh, expects a big 2026 for the two eateries with “some marketing” and co-promoting. Additionally, he wants to bring more of his restaurants to Long Island, in particular Suffolk County.
“Our vision is out east,” he said. “Going to Babylon, Bay Shore [and] Smithtown.”
Dining and Cooking