Meet the Owner: Frank Genovas of Francesco's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

When Frank "Francesco" Genovas first came across Francesco's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria while looking for a restaurant in the late 1970's, he found it curious – it's name simply calling to him.

"I went and checked out three other places, but I liked this one," Genovas recalled. "My dad said it was simply meant to be."

His father lent him $35,000 to purchase the restaurant, in what Genovas noted was "a big risk," and it began – Francesco was the owner of Francesco's.

Before his purchase of the restaurant, Genovas said he was always working towards getting into the business from a very young age. He worked for a pizzeria-restaurant in Huntington for awhile, learning what he could.

"While everyone else my age was out partying, I was in there working," he recalled. As he graduated high school, he faced the decision to go to college or open a restaurant; after a few months of college, Genovas left and followed his dream to invest in a restaurant, eventually finding Francesco's.

The Italian restaurant on John Street has been bringing in customers from near and far for over 35 years now, tempted by their delicious dishes and possibly some of the freshest seafood around – much of it caught by Genovas himself.

"I'm a long-time fisherman," he said. "I really know preparation, storage, catching... I love it, being out there on the bay or the ocean." Much of his catch makes it on to the plate at Francesco's, giving the restaurant some of the freshest and most diverse menu items.

Back at the restaurant, Genovas is definitely not alone working the popular restaurant – some of his family also works there, helping serve and prepare food.

"It's all hands on deck here," he said with a grin. "My two girls have learned everything."

Everything includes the diverse menu at Francesco's, including the popular tuna avocado pizzette, which features a thin-crust 12 inch pie with a layer of avocados, spicy mayo, tuna, scallions and sweet soy dressing. Other menu items include a wide variety of gluten-free items and healthier choices.

"You can always have it your way here, just ask – we're happy to change the items," he said.

Francesco's has also benefited from some major media exposure. Just like another Babylon business in Plesser's, Francesco's was featured on television recently as Genovas as the guest chef on Real Food TV on the Telecare Channel.

"Father Jim [Vlaun] asked me to be on it; he's been asking for nearly three years. It finally worked out," he said.

Television and fishing aside, Babylon has treated Genovas and his family business well. The restaurant continues to thrive on John Street and bring in many hungry people that leave with happy faces.

"We've been here for a long time and the so have the locals," Genovas said. "They always have a very positive attitude, always smiling. We love our neighbors."