One of Manhattan’s more noteworthy pizzerias will be expanding further into the Garden State for the holiday season, this time bringing their famous pies to a prominent Monmouth county town.
Artichoke Basille’s will soon be coming to an 1,800-square foot storefront at 177 Broad Street next door to the Red Bank Diner. The space will be the 16th location for the entire Artichoke franchise and will offer both dine-in and takeout when it opens before the end of December.
The Red Bank outpost will be modeled after the original Artichoke Basille’s Pizza location in New York City and is set to feature exposed brick and an antique tin ceiling. The restaurant also plans a few design touches that pay homage to Red Bank’s music and cultural history by featuring tributes to the local rock legends from the area.
“We’re excited to finally bring a second New Jersey location, this time company-owned, of Artichoke Basille’s Pizza to Red Bank,” said Francis Garcia, co-founder and co-owner. “The town of Red Bank has special importance to me because it’s where I met and fell in love with my wife. It’s a town with a lot of heart, great nightlife and, we think, will be the perfect community for our next location.”
The menu will feature all of Artichoke’s signature thick crust slices and whole pies in eight varieties, including their namesake Artichoke Pie made with artichoke hearts, spinach, cream sauce, mozzarella and pecorino romano cheese. The restaurant’s Crab Pie, consisting of crab sauce, fresh mozzarella, and panko-breaded Surimi crab meat, is another highlight that helped put Artichoke Basille’s on the map.
Founded in 2008 by cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, Artichoke Basille’s has begun franchising their business in recent years. Two franchisors, Premal and Leela Shangvi, opened the first New Jersey outpost in Hoboken last October and planned other spots in Jersey City, New Brunswick, Princeton and Newark that have yet to materialize.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza currently operates or franchises 15 locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona and California, with several other restaurants in varying stages of development across the country.
