Last year, we reported that a new Italian market would be opening its doors in Downtown Newark. Now, the 10,000-square-foot venue within the city’s Teachers Village appears to be moving closer to opening its doors.
Signs have been posted at the corner of Halsey and William Streets advertising the restaurant and market with the name Portici, which is a suburb of Naples. According to the Teachers Village website, Portici will serve lunch and dinner and will offer an “extensive line of unique Italian grocery items.” Videos posted on the Portici Facebook page show that the market will include a piazza, a coffee shop, a pastry and gelato counter, a gastronomy shop offering appetizers, a wine shop, a pizzeria, and the Nonna Elena Restaurant.
Portici will be run by ITA Concepts, Inc., whose leadership includes Alessandro Ciacchini, Aldo Venturi, and Aldo Sartore, according to the Facebook page. Francesco Lasala will serve as the Chief Engineer while Carlo Zarri will be the Executive Chef. The Velvet Lab, a firm based in Turin in northern Italy, is behind the design for Portici.
Lonnie Soury, a spokesperson for Teachers Village developer RBH Group, told Jersey Digs in 2017 that the business will be a “‘first-of-its-kind’ Italian-inspired fresh food marketplace,” adding that “we look forward to welcoming this innovative concept to Teachers Village and the burgeoning Newark restaurant scene.”
The store will be located in Building 2 of Teachers Village below the Discovery Charter School. The site is located across William Street from the upcoming Vibe tower.
