New Atrium Will Expand Seating At Mahwah Italian Restaurant

MAWHAH, NJ — A 3,800-square-foot, two-story Italian restaurant in Mahwah is expanding to add two more seating rows, twice what is on the property now, resulting in a total of 215 seats. An amended site plan application for the expansion was approved unanimously by the township planning board earlier this week.

Roxanne's, right off Franklin Turnpike, is requesting to add another atrium with restaurant-style seating, that will be set a few feet higher and slopes down. Upon completion, the restaurant, along with both atriums, will appear as one consolidated piece, land surveyor Peter Kirch, of Surtech Surveying Technologies, said.

In connection with the modification, attorney Bruce Whitaker, representing the applicant, i.e. the restaurant owners, asked for a variance to move a ground sign, which was granted. He said also that the applicant would be removing 150 square feet of pavement to replace with landscaping to comply with lot coverage regulations.

Approval was conditional on the applicant's agreement to install a drip sprinkler system for planting areas. The applicant will also need to submit a soil movement permit application for review, township engineer Michael Kelly said.