Colony Grill Of Stamford Fame To Open Locations In Florida

STAMFORD, CT — Colony Grill's famous hot oil bar pie is coming to Florida.

The popular pizza joint, which originated in Stamford in 1935 and has since expanded to Norwalk, Fairfield, Milford, Port Chester, N.Y., and Arlington, Va., will open a location in St. Petersburg and Tampa in the coming months.

The St. Petersburg spot is expected to open around Halloween at 670 Central Ave, according to Colony Grill's Chief Operating Officer and part-owner, Ken Martin. The Tampa location at 3740 Midtown Drive should open its doors sometime late first quarter, early second quarter of 2022.

Both restaurants will be about 5,000 square feet, and feature upwards of 165 interior dining and bar seats with outdoor patio space. There should be about 12 beer tap lines, with up to six local craft brew options to go along with bar-style, thin crust pizza.

Martin owns the business with Paul Coniglio, Chris Drury, and Cody Lee -- all childhood friends who played on the 1989 Trumbull, Conn. Little League World Series Championship team. Martin said that since 2010 when the group took over the business, they've received hundreds of suggestions from customers on where to move to next, and the idea of Florida kept popping up.

"About three years ago we took a few exploratory trips down and started to get a feel for the area. We quickly became excited. We thought a lot of the demographics and cultural makeup mirrored Fairfield County and Connecticut and Westchester County in a lot of ways," Martin said. "Very vibrant communities, young professionals, young families, some retired people, people who are interested in sports and the arts, and who like to spend time and money outside the home on food and hospitality."

After the initial trips to Florida, Martin said he felt more comfortable with the idea of opening up new locations there. About two years ago, ownership started to enter into formal negotiations on leases.

The two new restaurants are located in vibrat, growing areas, Martin said. In St. Petersburg, fans of the Tampa Bay Rays can grab a pizza and a cold beer before heading to a ballgame at nearby Tropicana Field, or concert goers can get dinner before going to the popular State Theatre. There is also an art district nearby, and the waterfront attracts boaters and other residents.

In Tampa, the New York Yankees spring training facility is nearby as well as Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. The Tampa Colony Grill will be located within an up and coming development called Midtown.

"As a new guy on the block, you try to put your best foot forward and see what that community needs from you outside of food and drink as a community partner. The second component is trying to deliver a consistent high quality pizza that I think people know us for, and make sure we have smiles on our faces when people come through the doors because they're willing to part ways with their money to have an experience. We want to deliver a gratifying experience in return," Martin said.

"I think people there really do support the neighborhood spots as long as you're doing it the right way. We can't wait to get open down there. We think it's a fantastic market and we've already started to meet some great people so we're super excited."

Menus will be the same in Florida as their northern counterparts; simple and to the point. All pizzas come in the same size, and there are a variety of traditional toppings to choose from. But the bar-style pie and hot oil option is what sets Colony Grill apart from others.

"The bar pie style of pizza is unique to the I-95 northeast corridor. It's easily managed with a drink in your hand, and it's really balanced in terms of cheese and sauce so there's not a lot of flop to it. It's got a crunch to it, and at the same time there's a chewiness," Martin explained. "I think the bar pie in general is a unique segment of the pizza world. We've been doing it a really long time and doing it well. I think our hot oil is our differentiator in terms of our pizza. It gives it that spice and flavor. I think that's what people really enjoy about the flavor profile of our pizza."

When Martin came into the business in 2010, the focus was on just succeeding with one location. On the heels of the recession, Martin said it was scary at first, but in the 11 years since, the business has obviously grown.

"It's been a tremendous ride. I think we surprised ourselves with the growth, but it's been super gratifying and we look forward to keeping it going in the years ahead," Martin said.

Thriving and opening up new locations is even more special because of the relationship Martin has with his business partners and childhood friends.

"Business partnerships can be difficult but I think we're very proud of the fact that we've learned to be not only great friends but honest business partners with each other," Martin added. "As we get a little further on in our years, I think all of us would agree it's been something we've really cherished together... We're proud of it."