As Kids Become Tweens, Bellizzi To Follow Them With New Club

Bellizzi Pizzeria has long been a family favorite. For toddlers, it's all about the cushy play space; gradeschoolers love the arcade room, and parents enjoy sitting with good food and a glass of wine while the kids are entertained.

But for tweens—9-to-12-year-olds who have outgrown Dora and Pokemon but are not yet ready to call themselves teenagers—a trip to Bellizi has lost its cool factor, says owner Isi Albanese.

Not anymore.

On Aug. 6, beginning at 8:30 p.m., the "Bellizzi B Club" launches, giving 6th - 8th graders--and no one else--weekly access to the restaurant for a few hours of fun. The restaurant aims to make it a weekly happening.

Albanese described the concept: by updating video games, making room for a dance floor with a digital jukebox, and maintaining the pizza, of course, the club will allow tweens to get together on Friday nights in an atmosphere that suits them, without their little brothers and sisters.

"I think parents will like it, instead of having their kids hanging outside the movie theater on Main Street. This gives them a safe place to get together; the kids have to stay in the restaurant until their parents come pick them up," said Albanese.

The restaurant will post a staffer at the door to ensure kids remain there until parents pick them up, reassuring concerned parents about the possibility of kids leaving to wander around downtown Mt. Kisco.

The gathering spot will offer something for both the outgoing kid and the more laid-back types, he said. "Board games and bean bags will be in one room for those who simply want to chill out, while the kids who want to shine a little brighter can light it up on the dance floor," said Albanese.  

Either way, Bellizzi will try to keep it fresh, with a variety of video and game playing challenges and possibly "Battle of the Band" and "Battle of the DJ" contests.

Admission will be $25 for the evening, from 8:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Club goers will have the option to join, reducing their admission by $5. On the first night, the first 50 will enter free and automatically become members.

Opening night also offers the chance to win an Apple iPad and iTunes gift cards, which will be raffled off at a "B Club" gathering in September.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the start date and more details on the start of the club.