Frankie's Pizzeria and Restaurant, the family-owned Merrick institution that has been turning out Italian favorites for more than two decades, has opened a second location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The new spot, called Frankie's East Side Pizzeria, is taking online orders only for now, with slices available through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Slice while the owners work toward opening a full sit-down restaurant.
According to News12, Frankie's East Side Pizzeria is the new sister shop of the original Frankie's Pizzeria and Restaurant on Merrick Road in Merrick, Nassau County. The Merrick shop has built its reputation as a family-owned and operated kitchen that has cooked Italian favorites for more than two decades, and the station reports that its owner announced the new Florida location on social media, saying he has New York roots and a Florida state of mind.
From Tomato & Basil to a Neighborhood Name
The Merrick restaurant was not always called Frankie's. Back in 2023, owner Frank Lonigro moved his Tomato & Basil pizzeria two doors down into a larger space and renamed it, a change Patch reported came down to simple recognition around town. The expanded location came with a 25-year lease, and Lonigro told Patch at the time that the kitchen was turning out close to 30 different types of pies a day, with a dining room large enough to accommodate at least 75 people.
That expansion wasn't Lonigro's first outside Merrick, either. He had previously told Patch that he opened Frankie's East Side Pizzeria in Farmingdale before adding another East Side location in East Meadow, building out a small family of sister shops across Long Island well before the move into Florida.
Delivery First, Dining Room to Follow
For now, the Fort Lauderdale shop is leaning entirely on delivery apps to introduce itself to its new market, with slices reaching customers through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Slice rather than a walk-in counter. News12 reports the plan is to eventually open a full restaurant down south, following the same trajectory that turned the Farmingdale and East Meadow spots into established Frankie's East Side outposts. On Instagram, the Merrick shop's account, @frankiesmerrick, describes itself as Italian, family owned and operated, and built around pickup, delivery, dine-in and catering, the same formula now being exported to Florida.
