By Angelica Acevedo
Joining what is becoming a mecca for dining, restaurateur Mark Boccia and his business partner John Ryan will soon open up a new eatery in Bayside — with a vintage, yet modern, flare.
The pair are planning on making what was once C.J. Sullivan’s American Grill at 213-10 Street and 41st Avenue into a whole new restaurant for the Queens community. The space has a nostalgic feel to Boccia.
“Years ago, we started our careers there, busing tables, and doing all that,” Boccia said. “We always loved the space there so we decided to take it over once the owner was ready to sell.”
Boccia is no stranger to the area, as he is also part owner of the Bourbon Street Bar and Restaurant at 40-12 Bell Blvd., as well as Austin’s Ale House at 82-70 Austin St in Kew Gardens.
Bourbon Street has served Bayside since 1988, beginning as a Cajun-style restaurant and later expanding to the second floor as a catering and private room. As of 2015, it opened a rooftop patio with a spacious bar, lounge area and seven flat screen TVs. In contrast, Austin’s Ale House, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, has a different feel to it while serving a variety of 20 taps and 40 bottles of local and international beers.
Boccia and Ryan plan on naming the new establishment “One Station Plaza,” the name that used to belong to a restaurant right next door to the Bayside railroad station. Fittingly, it will be a place where the old meets the new.
“The place did really well in the ’70s and ’80s,” Boccia said. “It was a staple, and everyone knew it.”
One Station Plaza will serve as yet another addition to more than a dozen other bars and restaurants that visitors can choose from on Bell Boulevard.
According to Boccia, the site is undergoing renovations and will be ready to open sometime during mid-July. The partners also intend to include vintage pictures of Bayside as part of the decor, keeping with the reminiscent vibe of the restaurant.
Guests will be able to choose from what Boccia calls a “gastro Hudson Valley” theme, with a variety of cheese boards, dips, salads, drinks and entrées, while sitting in the shaded-patio beer garden.
“Bell Boulevard is a great location and Queens is just the place to be right now,” Boccia said.
