Vespa Of Farmingdale Wins OpenTable Award 4th Straight Year

FARMINGDALE, NY — Vespa of Farmingdale has won an OpenTable Diner's Choice award for the fourth consecutive year.

Owner Ben LoManto said it feels "excellent" and credited his team for doing an "amazing job."

"They focus on hospitality," LoManto told Patch. "It's all about customer service. The place is immaculately clean. That's part of the criteria. The food speaks for itself. The hospitality is what drives Diners' Choice, I believe. I'm super proud. Super proud of my team."

Vespa, located at 282 Main Street, is an Italian restaurant known for its appetizers, pastas, stone-fired pizzettes, and meat and seafood entrees.

LoManto said Vespa's managing partner, Adin Garcia, is key to the restaurant's consistency.

"He's the anchor to this location," LoManto said. "So, 99 percent, I attribute to him."

LoManto said guests have become family at Vespa and credited Garcia for building those relationships.

"He makes sure every customer is as happy as we possibly can make them," he said. "So I think what Farmingdale has brought, because it's a village, is the fact that it's really tied together. The chamber of commerce is really close and likes to do a lot with the villages. It's a neighborhood place. It's not like you go into a shopping center and it's whatever, whatever. This is all neighborhood people. That's what I love about Farmingdale. Farmingdale has been a blessing to me, my family and to my employees."

Vespa plans to open a new location in Station Yards in Ronkonkoma by mid-June, LoManto said. He hopes to bring the fundamentals from Farmingdale over to Ronkonkoma.

"When I say fundamentals, I mean the nuts and bolts of how we do things in the kitchen and how we do things as a company," he said. "...My hope is that we bring everything we've accomplished here. All of our mistakes as well, because we're going to make those. At least we've learned from them here. And then we'll be able to translate to opening up that location, and from day one, having all of what we've learned and built in Farmingdale to translate to the Ronkonkoma location."

While Vespa is expanding, the Farmingdale space, LoManto said, has been a "godsend."

"It really has done a lot for me over the past 10 years," he said. "It's gone by quickly, but it's been beautiful. Even through COVID, everyone rallied together. Everyone was helping each other out. All the business guys helped each other out. That's invaluable to a businessperson. To a small businessperson, especially, to have that sense of community. All of the vendors working together and all of the business owners."

Vico, a fellow Italian restaurant in Farmingdale, recently won its second OpenTable Diners Choice Award. LoManto praised Farmingdale's culinary scene and the competition it has brought Vespa.

"Farmingdale, I know there are quite a few restaurants now," he said. "From when I first started 10 years ago, I think another 10 more have opened up since, right? But to be honest with you, I think all of them, every [business] that has opened up in Farmingdale, has attributed to everyone's success. Not just their own. I think they've made it possible for us to grow, as well. Competition is good. It's warranted. It keeps you on your toes. It brings more people in and brings a little bit of competition, which is great. A little challenge. Everyone tries to beat each other on certain things, and you know what? That's what makes this country beautiful, right? It's the competition and the fact you're able to have it and not be silenced by it ... I know they're all eateries, but different types of cuisines. A little more upscale, a little more casual. Just a little something for everybody. For me, Farmingdale has given us that, and I think it's wonderful."