EAST LANSING, Mich. — A new restaurant is coming to downtown East Lansing and hopes to change the smell of the storefront that once housed Collegeville Textbook Company.
The book store, which was located at 321 east Grand River Ave., closed during the pandemic.
“We have three kinds of pizza, Detroit style pizza, the thick square pizza, regular American style pizza with medium crust, and Napoletana pizza, which me and my nephew went to Naples, Italy, and learned how to make from the authentic best pizza makers in the world," owner of Coratti's Pizzeria Pete Coratti said.
Coratti owns the pizzeria with his nephew and currently has three locations in Michigan.
“We have a pizzeria in Detroit that's been there for 60 years," Coratti said. "We have a little more upscale Italian restaurant in downtown Milford that has been there for 15 years.”
Now, they're adding another store in East Lansing.
“I just thought it would be a great place to do this concept, you know, a vibrant college campus," Coratti said. "We found what we think is a great location, and it's going to be perfect for Lansing and East Lansing.”
Coratti said the building will need to be completely demolished and rebuilt because they want to add a second floor.
“It's going to be open air six months a year downstairs and upstairs, and then upstairs with the rooftop seating, we are going to also be opening that in the winter, so it will be year round,” Coratti said.
The upper level will also have a traditional Italian pastime to get customers up and active.
“That's going to enable us to put two 60 foot bocce ball courts," Coratti said. "Here and now we have two 43 foot bocce ball courts. The courts are going to be really neat. It's just something fun for people to do.”
Bocce ball is essentially Italian lawn bowling, and Coratti said anyone can play.
“You can play at five years old," Coratti said. "I literally have people that are in their 90's playing it and come in to, this kind of appeals to everybody.”
Right now, they're in the process of getting everything approved by the City Council, including a license to sell alcohol.
“We go before the City Council on the 21st of June," Coratti said. "Hopefully, I would imagine we'll get the approval, and then we could submit the plans to the city of East Lansing.”
If they get approval, Coratti hopes rebuilding moves quickly.
“Our goal would be to open up by the first of the year, but you know, everything would have to fall in line pretty good,” Coratti said.
Coratti's Pizzeria also offers homemade gelato and pasta. A look at their menu in Howell can be found on their website.
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