Photo: The location where a businessman hopes to open a pizzeria on Park Avenue.
Three restaurants will come seeking special permits before the Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday, July 13, and while two – near neighbors on Trapelo Road – appear to face perfunctory review for approval, one already has neighbors opposing its location at the intersection of Belmont Hill and Route 2.
The ZBA meeting is taking place at 7 p.m. in the Homer Building.
George Rozopoulos, a well-known Wilmington pizzeria owner who comes from the family which established the Pizza Lover’s chain on the North Shore, is seeking to lease the former Belmont Market at 92 Park Ave. adjacent the overpass and the access road onto Route 2 and bordering Arlington, and open Rizzo’s Roast Beef & Pizza.
“Belmont is a beautiful town,” said Rozopoulos in his statement of interest, a place where “parents can walk … and kids ride bikes to grab a bite.”
“This location will be cool and hip inside and the walls will be covered with memorabilia,” said Rozopoulos, which recently was the home of Olive Market and Deli.
Rozopoulos will serve essentially the same menu as he does at this Wilmington, Peabody and Salem locations, such as pizzas, calzones, hot and cold sandwiches, rice bowls and subs.
The shop will have 18 seats, using the existing nine parking spaces in the area. Rozopoulos hopes to have up to 20 outdoor seasonal seating.
Yet some neighbors are rather bothered that a pizza place will be located at the edge of the residential neighborhoods. Two couples have objected to the special permit request, citing traffic – Park Avenue is rather congested for about an hour in the morning and evening rush – parking and health concerns as there is reportedly past encounters with “mice and rats” from the past businesses.
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Adjacent to the newly-opened Studio Cinema, a Foxboro-based soup restaurant is seeking to occupy the former home of Cafe Burrito.
As reported in the Belmontonian this spring, owner Jose Rios wants to bring his concept of 8 to 12 daily soups as he does at his shop Spoodles Soup Factory at 374 Trapelo Rd. The restaurant, open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., will serve fresh salads, wraps and sandwiches along with a variety of soups from the staples such as chicken noodle to the adventurous chipotle sweat potato or chicken enchilada.
The 768 square-foot location will have 13 seats and employ five workers.
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Number One Taste, the Chinese take-out at 382 Trapelo Rd., will be changing owners with Jack Sy seeking to take over the business from the current owners. He will keep the same menu and name as well as same hours; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday to Thursday; and open until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
“This will be a family business. We want to have this business because cooking is a passion and we take pride in what we serve,” said the resident from Boston’s South End.