Colony Grill to open its doors at new Norwalk location

Among Colony Grill's offerings are pepperoni and hot oil thin crust pizzas at its new location in the courtyard of the new Waypointe on West Avenue. Among Colony Grill's offerings are pepperoni and hot oil thin crust pizzas at its new location in the courtyard of the new Waypointe on West Avenue. Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Colony Grill to open its doors at new Norwalk location 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

NORWALK -- And then there will be four -- when the newest Colony Grill pizzeria has its grand opening at 515 West Ave. in Norwalk on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Colony Grill -- with locations in Stamford, Fairfield and Milford -- and known for its single signature menu item of thin crust pizza, joins the currently operating Sedona Taphouse as the first two of many restaurants and shops anticipated to bring the West Avenue Waypointe courtyard to life.

"There are so many good things happening in this section of Norwalk," said Colony Grill operations and communications manager Ken Martin.

"When we were looking at opening our fourth location, we looked for communities that would get behind us," Martin said. "It's taken us two years to get to this point. Dealing with Norwalk we got the sense that the city was pro-business and was happy to help get us going as quickly as possible."

With a long history, beginning in 1935, the post-Prohibition tavern named Colony Grill opened in a heavily Irish neighborhood in Stamford.

"It was in an Irish neighborhood called the 'colony' that Colony Grill started as a neighborhood tavern and watering hole," said Martin. "Over the years, the bar-sized pizza became a popular item. Although it's not a 'grill' anymore, the name stuck."

The Colony Grill "story" as told on their website is as follows:

"The original owners of Colony were indeed Irish-Americans, but they employed some Italian and Eastern European chefs during the Great Depression. These men proudly wanted bar patrons to try the pizza recipes from their homelands, in addition to other menu items, but needed to figure out how to fit a pizza tray on the narrow Colony bar top. The solution: the "bar pie"… extremely thin crust, smaller in diameter than a traditional pizza, and not too much cheese or sauce so that slices can be easily managed with one hand, fittingly leaving the other hand free to hold a glass ... Eventually, across the decades, the hot oil bar pie became so popular that all the other Colony menu items faded away, as did the need for a grill. But the name Colony Grill remains as a link to our heritage."

Martin, along with partners Paul Coniglio, chief executive; Chris Drury, a former New York Rangers player; and Cody Lee, owner of a masonry business; have owned Colony Grill for the past six years.

"Six years ago we started with the Stamford location, and then we added Fairfield, Milford and now we're here," Martin said.

Martin characterized finding ideal location and staff as challenges in opening a new restaurant.

"We have a built-in community over our heads here," Martin said, referring to the Waypointe apartments. "A movie theater will opening close-by and I think that Waypointe really will complement SoNo as the areas are linked. There are great demographics here."

With regard to staffing, Martin pointed out that top-rate restaurant employees are key to success.

"Our staff is the customer's first point of contact with us, so important that we make a good impression from the beginning," he said.

The Norwalk location, an expansive 5,600-square-foot space with exposed brick walls lined with flat-screen TVs; photos of local police and fire personnel; cushiony booths, and full bar, has seating for 180 people in addition to an outdoor courtyard seating area for warm weather dining.

"The police and fire departments, as well as military are a notable presence here," Martin said. "We also pay homage to Norwalk's oyster industry."

The simple menu, consisting of pizza toppings, is posted on the restaurant walls.

Topping choices are: meatball, sausage, pepperoni, musroom, onions, black olives, peppers, anchovies, stringers, bacon, and salad-all available with Colony's signature hot oil topping. A breakfast pie, with bacon, sausage, egg and cheese is also available.

"We plan to be here for a long time," Martin said. "We see this as an area that will support longevity."

Colony Grill's website: https://www.colonygrill.com.