'Rosa Pizza' Announces Shop In Bay Terrace Amid Pizzeria Dispute

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — It looks like a new pizzeria is slated to open at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center, but someone who runs the original shop told Patch he has "nothing to do with it" — the latest claim in an ongoing pizza feud.

Earlier this week, Patch reported that Jack's Pizza and Pasta will shutter its longtime Bay Terrace location on Jan. 15th amid a rental dispute with shopping center owner Cord Meyer Development Company.

The developer says that they didn't renew Jack's lease beyond Jan. 15th, 2022 since the pizzeria didn't meet "financial obligations," but the shop contends that Cord Meyer is using finances as an "excuse," and just wants to bring in another pizzeria named Rosa's Pizza.

The months-long saga intensified on Wednesday, when a shop by a similar name and logo to Rosa's announced on Instagram that it was expanding to Bay Terrace soon; this shop is called "Rosa Pizza," with the same rose logo and "family owned and operated" slogan as Rosa's.

When Patch called Rosa's on Thursday, a person who said he runs the shop would not confirm whether or not the two pizzerias are the same.

"I have nothing to do with it," he told Patch of the supposed future location in Bayside, before hanging up; a store employee told Patch earlier this week that they are "not sure yet" about an expansion to Bay Terrace.

Lara Sapienza — whose parents founded Jack's in the 1970s — however, told Patch that she's certain Jack's will be replaced with Rosa's.

"Matt Whalen always had a pizzeria that he wanted to bring in called Rosa's Pizzeria from Maspeth," Sapienza told Patch, pointing at Cord Meyer's CEO.

Cord Meyer already refused to comment on whether or not it is in talks with Rosa's telling Patch that it is "not currently discussing prospective tenants." The development company restated this point on Wednesday in response to Patch's questions about the Instagram announcement.

The developer, however, said it is "focused on ensuring that the Bay Terrace remains a vibrant shopping center," and that "in general, upon lease expirations, we need to consider a tenant’s account status and explore all options, including seeking a new tenant when necessary."

Related Article: Jack's Pizza In Bayside To Close Amid Dispute With Developer