Bella Lucia Pizzeria In Clifton Park Has NYCStyle Pizza, Other Sandwiches And Dinners

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

Six months after closing the Halfmoon Sandwich Shop, partners Melissa Craine and Sean Lee opened Bella Lucia Pizzeria at 1218 Route 146 in Clifton Park.

The couple previously owned Rocco’s, a fine dining establishment in Jonesville.

Before closing their Halfmoon eatery in August, they had attempted to purchase the building that they had leased for 15 years.

“We were really confident that we would be able to purchase the sandwich shop building on Route 9, but unfortunately we were unable to come to terms that would have been beneficial to both parties,” said Craine.

By that time, they had already purchased the Route 146 property with plans of opening a second restaurant, a pizzeria. The unexpected closing of the sandwich shop presented them with the opportunity to focus all of their energy on Bella Lucia.

the flop and you have to have the crunch. I’m from Long Island, and as far as I’m concerned that’s what true pizza is. Aside from importing water from down state, this is as close as you are going to get to a true New York pizza.”

Bella Lucia also has a catering menu that will include everything from party heroes to chicken, pasta, and meat entrees.

On-site dining is available, and the pizzeria is be staffed by 12 employees. Eleven of those employees were previously employed at the Halfmoon Sandwich Shop.

Craine and Lee purchased the Bella Lucia property in October 2021 from the owners of Stromboli’s Pizza and Grill. Although the previous owners had completely renovated the building, they were never able to open their doors due to healthrelated issues.

The Bread Basket Cake Shop is a new destination in Saratoga Springs for specialty cakes fit for all celebrations. It was launched by Business for Good and all profits will be donated to local charities fighting hunger and food insecurity.

Bread Basket Cake Shop will occupy a retail boutique space within The Springs at 3 Hempstead Place.

The location will serve customers looking for specialty and custom cakes for all occasions, as well as offering coffee drinks and breakfast pastries throughout the day. The space features a special spot for consultations with Bread Basket Cake Shop’s team.

Bread Basket Bakery, with which the new business is affi liated, has been a staple of the Saratoga area for years. Since its incorporation into Business for Good’s family of companies, it has donated 100 percent of its profits to help “bake a difference” in the local community.

With customer demand growing year to year, an opportunity arose to dedicate a unique space as a location for the bakery’s cake orders.

“Bread Basket Cake Shop is a much-needed service in the community,” said Business for Good cofounder Lisa Mitzen. “Not only will people get to enjoy delicious and beautiful cakes, but their choice of purchasing at Bread Basket Cake Shop will help local charities working to fight food insecurity and hunger in the Capital Region.”

“Custom cakes have been a large part of Bread Basket Bakery’s offerings for many years,” said Connie Frances Avila, Business for Good chief brand officer. “By dedicating a unique location to Bread Basket Cake Shop, we had a great opportunity to work on the brand- ing, logo and website. The new look and feel allows Bread Basket Cake Shop to compliment Bread Basket Bakery, but also stand on its own as a business in its own right.”

“I’ve been decorating cakes for over 20 years and it’s amazing to be in this new space, where design is the primary focus,” said head cake decorator Angelina Tallman. “We love having our cakes play a part in some of the happiest days of our customers’ lives. We are really looking forward to supplying unique desserts for celebrations of all kinds in Saratoga Springs and beyond.”

For nearly four decades, Bread Basket Bakery has given to the community through their food. They have now expanded to include Bread Basket Cake Shop, which offers celebration and custom cakes. Both locations are designed around a warm, family atmosphere and community-fi rst approach as well as their cakes, breads and treats.

As part of the Business for Good family of companies, customers of Bread Basket Bakery and Bread Basket Cake Shop share in the helping feed their neighbors, as all profits from the businesses are used to fight food insecurity in the Greater Capital Region.

To learn more, visit www.saratogabreadbasket.com.

Formed in 2020, Business for Good is rooted in the core principle of “for good, not gain.” Its efforts were recognized on a national level with a 2022 Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas honorable mention award, which recognizes pioneering teams that are playing an important role in the betterment of the world through intentional philanthropy.

To learn more, visit www.bfg.org.

is seeking a BOOKKEEPER

Bookkeeper Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Bookkeeper to monitor the finances of our growing company. You will be responsible for maintaining all financial records, completing required tax forms, processing payroll, and generating regular reports for upper management. Looking for a professional Bookkeeper with at least 3 years experience.

Send resume to jperez@fted.com

“During that time, we went down to (New York City) to a pizza school in Staten Island called Goodfellas Pizza School. For us, it was a refresher, a confidence booster, and a way to get some extra know-how,” said Craine. “Even though we have been in the restaurant industry in many different facets for many years, pizza is new to us.”

Although Bella Lucia is billed as a pizzeria, the menu includes more than pizza and calzones. It also features hot and cold sandwiches, salads, wings, appetizer, pasta dinners, and chicken dinners.

The restaurant does not serve alcohol.

“It’s called a pizzeria, but we don’t ever like to stick ourselves inside of one box. That’s just not who we are. Cooking is a craft, and we are artists as far as we are concerned,” she said. “We are going to continue serving the best ingredients, great combinations, and good food.”

The bread that is used for their sandwiches is delivered fresh each day from Rockland Bakery which is located just outside of New York City. Their pizza dough will be made in-house from a recipe that Lee spent three years perfecting. A gluten free option will also be available.

“I believe that people are really going to enjoy our pizza,” said Craine. “For me, you can’t have

“The building was turnkey when we bought it,” said Craine. “Everything in there was brand new. We just went in and painted, put up new lighting, and expanded the counter.”

Craine said she is hopeful that the loyal customer base that they built over the past 15 years at the Halfmoon Sandwich Shop will embrace the pizzeria and all it has to offer.

“It was really devastating to have to close the sandwich shop because we had so many customers who really became like family. It wasn’t until we closed that I realized what an impact our restaurant made on the community. We are very hopeful that the supporters of the sandwich shop will come with us to the new location.”

“There are about 92 restaurants in Clifton Park, so we know that the competition is steep. We are confident that the relationships that we have formed with the community over the last decade and a half are going to carry us through. Right now, we’re feeling very excited and thankful.”

Although she and Lee have no immediate plans of opening another new restaurant, she said it’s not out of the question.

Bella Lucia Pizzeria is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 7 p.m. It is closed on Monday.

For more information, visit bellaluciacliftonpark.com. The phone number is 518-371-2902.