Pizza Restaurateur To Open New Eatery In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The owner of a popular pizzeria in Prospect is opening a new pizza eatery in Southington soon, with the town's zoning board saying 'yes' to it last week.

The Southington Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved two applications (a special permit and site plan) for restaurateur Jim Kollcinaku to open a restaurant in a long-vacant industrial building at 5 Atwater St., Southington.

While the site is owned by Southington-based 1st CM LLC, the applicant for both permits is Kollcinaku, who hails from Prospect.

Prospect is where Kollcinaku owns and operates Haven Pizzeria Napoletana, which is located at 22 Union City Road, Prospect.

While no formal name for the Southington eatery has been released, Steve Giudice, an engineer from Cole Civil and Survey and representing the applicant, said it would be similar to the Prospect pizzeria.

Giudice was at the Southington PZC meeting on Nov. 18 to outline the project and the applications to the new commission.

Also Nov. 18, Steve Walowski, Susan Locks, Justin McGuire, and Mike Goodrich were sworn in to the PZC.

Three new officers were elected that night: Walowski as chairman, Chaplinsky as vice chairman, and Goodrich was named secretary. Walowski replaces former chairman Robert Hammersley, who retired from the PZC.

Approving plans for the new pizza restaurant was the first major action of the new Southington PZC, and it was work done amid no opposition from the public.

The new restaurant would be 6,300 square feet and sit on 2.1 acres at the address.

Giudice told PZC members, "This will be an improvement to what is currently an eyesore and will be similar to a restaurant in Prospect owned by the applicant."

Commission members had mostly technical questions about certain aspects of the plan prior to easily approving both permits.

For the minutes of the Nov. 18 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission, click on this link.

For all documents related to the 5 Atwater St. applications, click on this link.