Glen Cove City Council Member John Zozzaro started his newest venture this summer: Zozo’s on the Bay, an Italian restaurant in Bayville, located on 424 Bayville Ave.
Zozzaro was elected to the City Council in 2023, but has worked in the restaurant business for 28 years and Italian food isn’t something new.
In 1997, Zozzaro opened his first restaurant, Zozo’s Pizza. He sold the pizzeria after four years but decided to stay in the restaurant business.
After selling Zozo’s Pizza, he stepped into Downtown Cafe, an Italian restaurant located on 4 School St. in Glen Cove. He owned it for 19 years between 2003 and 2022. The restaurant is still open under new management.
Eight years ago, Zozzaro started Pizza Company 7, a food truck that attends private events like birthdays. The firetruck, which is equipped with a wood-burning oven, cooks pies in 90 seconds, according to the company’s website.
Zozzaro said he is drawn to Italian cuisine due to “family tradition.” He said the menu isn’t strictly Italian but has Italian-American influences.
Now Zozzaro’s restaurant business continues with his newest Bayville location. Zozzaro said he had been looking for a storefront for a while and that the Bayville location was a “beautiful spot.”
What has kept him in the industry so long?
“A love and passion for making pizza,” he said.
Zozo’s on the Bay opened earlier this summer and operates from Wednesdays through Sundays.
“The pasta special was outstanding, as was the entire meal. Kudos to the chef,” Denise Traynor Smith commented on Facebook.
“Pizza and service were amazing… So many different types of pizza can’t wait to try some different ones,” Chiara Gallo-Blance commented.
Zozzaro said one of the most popular dishes on the menu is the “Saucy Sinatra,” a pizza with marinara, vodka, and pesto sauce.
For more information, visit zozosonthebay.com.
