News

By Jane Smith

Boynton Beach will soon have two Italian restaurants that are operated by the same person despite efforts not to choose just one company for the eateries.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency board tapped Sal Campanile to negotiate to buy historic homes at 211 and 480 E. Ocean Ave. and turn them into restaurants. Both sides hope contracts can be presented at the board’s May meeting.
Campanile, who offered a total of $560,000 for both sites, was ecstatic. “For over a year I’ve wanted to open restaurants in Boynton Beach and bring a lot of foot traffic to the downtown,” he said. “Pizza is my passion.”
At the April meeting, he spun a tale of growing up in Naples, Italy, where “great food is a way of life.” His family still operates businesses there producing olive oil, wine and mozzarella. He said he has lived in Boynton Beach for nearly 10 years and has four kids.
At 480 E. Ocean Ave., known as the Ruth Jones cottage, he will open The Little Pizza Shack and serve wood-fired pizza and free-range rotisserie chicken.
He said he is a master pizza chef certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Naples. He also owns Mastino Wood-Fired Pizza Kitchen in Delray Beach, which opened in October, and Pazzi Pasta restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y. Previously he ran ZaZa Pizzeria Napoletana in Sugarloaf Key.
His competitors included Bruce Kaplan of the Local Development Co. in Philadelphia. The CRA board members took umbrage that no one from that company could attend their April meeting. Christian Prakas, son of restaurant broker Tom Prakas, whose company has the exclusive listings on the two properties, presented Kaplan’s plan and apologized. The younger Prakas also said Local Development had upped its offer by $75,000 to $325,000, all cash at closing. That company wanted to do a craft brewery and pizza place at 480 E. Ocean.
Paul Snitkin, a broker at Anderson & Carr in West Palm Beach, presented for well-known restaurateur Rodney Mayo. Snitkin said Mayo offered to lease the property with an option to buy at $275,000 in the first three years, or he would be amenable to purchase it.
For 480 E. Ocean, Mayo proposed doing a Boynton Fish Camp similar to Conchy Joe’s Seafood Restaurant in Jensen Beach, a branch of Subculture Coffee that is based in West Palm Beach, or a Shaker and Pie restaurant that features wood-fired pizza.
The board voted 6-1 in favor of Campanile. Board member Woodrow Hay voted no. He preferred Kaplan, who has the financial backing to complete the concept. Hay was concerned about one owner having control of the two properties. “If something goes belly-up, then we have two pieces of property to worry about,” he said.
Campanile agreed to match Kaplan’s offer of $325,000 for the 480 E. Ocean house.
The pizza chef said he has $1.5 million available to buy and renovate the homes.         Paperwork given to the agency lists his partner as Deborah Grazioso of Ocean Ridge. She had a Northern Trust bank branch manager write a letter saying she has “in excess of $1.5 million” to invest.
Initially Campanile, Kaplan and Mayo were interested in the 211 E. Ocean Ave., known as the Oscar Magnuson house. Campanile and Kaplan had offered to buy with cash, $255,000 and $300,000 respectively. But Mayo, who was offering $275,000, withdrew his proposal.
“Rodney Mayo has multiple restaurants, more than 15,” Snitkin said. “He likes to create a buzz for the area with multiple locations.” Because Mayo didn’t get the bid for the 480 property, he pulled his offer for the Magnuson house, Snitkin said.  
Vice Mayor Joe Casello said he prefers Campanile with “his proven track record and bank account — which is huge.” Campanile plans to open La Piazzetta restaurant with a wood-fired grill in the Magnuson House.
The Prakas brokerage received thanks from Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick for the list of choices.
“Personally I am disappointed that Rodney Mayo pulled out. He is the gold standard in restaurants in South Florida,” Fitzpatrick said. “I see Sal as a good substitute. I am concerned about putting all the eggs in one basket, but this is what is on the table.”
Campanile received unanimous support for his Magnuson house proposal.