A popular Italian-style restaurant near the waterfront in Boynton Beach is one big step closer to building a new establishment nearly twice as big that it hopes to open before the year is over.
Josie’s Ristorante won approval from city commissioners on Feb. 10 to go ahead with plans to build a new establishment about 1.5 miles south of its current Woolbright Road location. The restaurant hopes to open its doors at the new place in six to eight months, chef Mark Millitelo said.
Josie’s will continue to serve pizza, steak, pasta, gelato and live music in its current building in the shopping center in the southeast corner of Woolbright Road and Federal Highway until the new location opens, if all goes to plan, Millitelo said.
The new location, set for 5,500 square feet, will be a big upgrade from the current 3,000 square-foot building it rents. The new restaurant will feature more outdoor dining space and a takeout section separate from the main entrance.
The new place establishment look like a 1920s-style art deco lounge if the restaurant accepts such a design proposed to them by Miami-based Bigtime Design Studios. It will also feature an Italian market, Millitelo said, where customers can buy freshly baked bread, pizzas, cakes and other Italian-style cuisine.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Millitelo said.
Josie’s aims to keep its current location open and running until the new restaurant opens its doors, Millitelo said.
The new location, at 3047 North Federal Highway, is currently a vacant space of grass, weeds and trees. The city’s land zoning code allowed only residences to be built on it before City Commissioners approved changing it to commercial.
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Dining and Cooking