Grecco's granted variance to expand Lincoln Avenue restaurant
Bedford's oldest locally owned restaurant received approval to build on to its location on Lincoln Avenue.
Grecco's, which has been in business since 1945, will expand on the south end of the building after receiving a variance Tuesday from the Bedford Board of Zoning Appeals. The project will enlarge and modernize the kitchen and add a new restroom.
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Bedford attorney Dave Smith spoke at the public hearing on behalf of owner Dave Sabatier. He explained Sabatier wants the expansion to follow the lines of the current building, which is shaped like a slice of pizza.
In order to do that, a variance is needed for less than required setbacks as the expansion would meet the edge of the sidewalk on the east and west sides and would come close to the apartment building to the south.
Engineering plans filed with the Bedford Plan Department and prepared by Imhoff Engineering Inc. show the expansion measures 37 feet by 34 feet.
Features include two walk-in coolers, pizza maker tables, double stack oven and prep areas. Construction will also include one-hour firewalls on three sides of the expansion and new sidewalks.
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No members of the public spoke for or against the variance. Plan Director Brandon Woodward said he spoke with Mike Woods, who owns the adjacent apartments, and he said he had no concerns or objections to the variance.
Because of the shape of the lot, Woodward said, "It's virtually impossible for him to meet the setbacks."
Grecco's was constructed before the city had setback requirements. BZA member Steve Kimbley noted that since the building is "landlocked" in its location with streets on both sides and the affected property owner not having any issues with the variance request, he made the motion to approve the variance.
The motion passed with all members voting in favor.
History of Grecco's
Charlie and Cleopha "Frances" Grecco opened Grecco's in 1945 at 519 Liwith a menu of plate lunches, Italian spaghetti and salads in a part of town that was hopping at that time. About a decade later, Charlie got the idea of starting a pizza restaurant at a time when most people from Bedford had never heard of pizza.
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When the Greccos decided to serve pizza (or pizza pie as it often was called at the time), they went to New York City to get the recipe from Charlie's Italian relatives there. Pizza was a hit in Bedford.
Charlie died in 1961, leaving Frances with the restaurant. Grecco's sold to Frank Wenzel in 1975. Sabatier bought Grecco's from Wenzel in 1989 with Sabatier retaining the same atmosphere and recipes that has made the restaurant a local favorite for decades.
Contact Times-Mail Staff Writer Carol Johnson at cjohnson@tmnews.com or 812-277-7252.