The first eatery in Slingerlands’ Vista Technology Campus is open for business.
Chef and co-owner John Grizzaffi welcomed his first customers on Monday, Aug. 26, to the region’s second Garden Bistro 24 location. An official ribbon cutting is expected in mid-September.
“We want to replicate the exact same feel we have over in Colonie,” said Grizzaffi. “We want a casual feel, where you can be home mowing the lawn and if you don’t want to cook that night, you can come here. Come in jeans, come in sandals and get a great meal.”
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America after high school, Grizzaffi, 27, opened the first Garden Bistro 24 location in Colonie three years ago. The cuisine is of French influence and the menu selections change with the seasons depending on what local ingredients are available.
Grizzaffi opted to open the second Garden Bistro location in Slingerlands because he and his wife live in Delmar. He co-owns the restaurant with his father, Charles.
Fresh, local ingredients are the keys to Grizzaffi’s success. His kitchen is free of both microwave and freezer. In addition, his menu changes with the seasons to allow use of the best produce available.
Grizzaffi has said in the past the Slingerlands location would have a larger focus placed on its lunch menu. He is hoping to attract people who work in the area, and those who may work within Vista itself as the campus grows. Many lunch options are priced at less than $10 and are made easy to transport in case customers want to bring their food back to work.
“We don’t deliver in Colonie, but we’d like to offer some type of service where we deliver to local offices. We really see an opening in the market to do that,” said Grizzaffi.
The second Garden Bistro location takes up half of the building at 5 Vista Blvd. A Verizon Wireless store is expected to fill the other 3,000 square feet. The restaurant employs around 25 people and seats 125, with additional seating located on the outdoor patio.
Construction on the building began in April and finished toward the end of August. Grizzaffi and his crew then spent the next several weeks getting the restaurant open for customers.
Grizzaffi said the restaurant is open seven days a week, and brunch will be available very soon.
“We just really enjoy this community,” said Grizzaffi. “They’ve been good to us and we want to return the favor.”
To learn more and view a full menu, visit www.gardenbistro24.com.