SARATOGA SPRINGS — Panza’s Restaurant, a staple on Saratoga Lake for nearly 81 years, is closing up shop and moving to 129 S. Broadway, formerly Paradiso il Ristorante. Panza hopes to re-open at the new location in mid-April.
“The building has got so much character that we’re trying to work with what we have... They’ve got that beautiful grotto area in the bar and the dining room with those beautiful windows. It’s a great location and the building is in terrific shape,” Tony Panza said about the 129 S. Broadway location.
“Hopefully we can make it better; we want to maybe elevate our menu just a little bit to spice it up,” he added. Panza signed a lease for the new location with the option to buy. The Southern portion of Broadway, long described as the “the gateway to the city,” is undergoing a transformation with a long vacant diner slated for demolition and re-development this year.
Panza’s current location, at 510 Route 9P in Stillwater, is in the approval process to rebuild the establishment with the addition of a boutique hotel. On April 19, 2018 an application was submitted to the town of Stillwater for a proposed Planned Development District (PDD) regarding the expansion for Panza’s Restaurant and a possible four-story hotel. Panza says he decided to rebuild around two years ago.
“We’re still working with the town and we don’t have all our approvals and right now. If we can’t do the hotel then we probably won’t be doing the project because it won’t work without the hotel portion,” said Tony Panza, owner of Panza’s Restaurant. Which could mean the new Panza’s will remain on Broadway.
However, if all goes according plan, Panza’s lakeside location could re-open in two years. He is still seeking permits from the city.
“Kind of sad and excited at the same time, I’ve been at this location my entire life. We thought we’d be under construction right now, re-doing it, but there’s just certain criteria the town wants,” Panza said about the new location.
