Opening Business in Gulfport Like 'a Root Canal,' Restaurateur Tells Council

As of Tuesday night, Frank Concolino can start making pizza in Gulfport. Getting him to that point exposed some of his frustrations with dealing with the city government.

In the past few months, Concolino tried to get the city to approve the proposed site changes for the building at 2813 Beach Blvd. so construction could begin.

"We purchased the building in June," Concolino said. "It feels like an eternity."

"It's a little worse than a root canal," he joked.

It all began when the New York native decided he was "tired of retirement" and wanted to open a pizza shop. Concolino then partnered with his first cousin Joseph Cassera. Their new restaurant will be named Cousins Pizzeria.

However, before Concolino could sell a single slice, he had to jump over a few hurdles.

For one, the building — a former laundromat — needed extensive remodeling to make it ready to serve food. Renovations include patching large holes in the wall, once used for dryer vents. Contractors and electricians were hired.

Another was the approval of his neighbors. Concolino had to pledge to them that he would be a good addition to the community.

"I made a promise to the surrounding residents," Concolino said. "I would be open just as late as everyone else."

"I am not going to be greedy," he added. "Everyone is open to 11 p.m.; we'll close at 11."

Then there was the city.

The Gulfport Planning Commission had gone back and forth with Concolino for months. They needed assurances that all plans were up to code before approval.

One of the biggest was parking issues. Concolino had to guarantee the proper parking would be there for the projected business. Before he could get a permit to sell pizza in Gulfport, replacing the handicap accessible ramp was required; new concrete was poured in the parking area. 

At Tuesday's Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, Gulfport Principal Planner Mike Taylor made the calculation of the appropriate number of parking spaces for a business, something resembling advanced Calculus. It required a formula that took several minutes to explain. 

Another obstacle for Concolino was the proper number and type of restroom facilities. To operate within code, Cousins Pizzeria needed to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building had the appropriate restroom for ADA requirements but needed another restroom to serve more customers.

Having a single restroom meant Concolino was restricted to take-out and 10 chairs. Cousins Pizzeria would have limited customer seating.

For the moment, that was just fine with Concolino. He simply wanted to finish the permit process and start selling pizza.

"Anything we need to do to open our doors," Concolino said. "I just wish there was someone to walk you through the process."

"Just getting our feet wet immediately in the community will be better than waiting until November or December," Concolino told the City Council, "and not put a burden on the equipment we have purchased in storage."

"Opening with 10 seats is better than none," he said.

Council members were certainly sympathetic. They realized that it was better for Cousins Pizzeria to be open and improvements and expansions to made in the future. The council unanimously approved the site permit as presented.

"Thank you for your patience," Mayor Mike Yakes said, "and for choosing Gulfport. We are working with you."

A delay such as the one Concolino faced has led Councilmember Barbara Banno to suggest revisiting permitting procedures. She wants to streamline the process.

"We need to have the community development department re-evaluate our process in regards to site plans and variances," Banno said. "I feel it's very lengthy, especially for new businesses coming into the city."

Gulfport Chamber of Commerce representative Bob Newcomb welcomes Cousins Pizzeria. He thinks reforming the permit process will be good for the city.

"A simple site plan approval should not take any more than 30 to 45 days," Newcomb said. "I don't care where you are. And that is something we should be working on here so that we don’t make coming here worse than a root canal."  

Concolino is now planning to open Cousins Pizzeria on Oct. 15.