Zito's Sandwich Shoppe Opens on Fifth Avenue on Friday!

Three weeks ago, the space on Fifth Avenue between Berkeley Place and Union Street, was serving Belgian fries and pressed sandwiches. But by Friday afternoon, with names like the 18th Avenue Feast (their sausage and peppers sandwich), after holds its grand opening for their second location in Park Slope.

closed on Tuesday, June 5 after exactly ten years. Now, Zito’s, which on Seventh Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets in August 2011, will take over the space after just three weeks and three days of construction to turn Press 195 into their own.

Zito’s, owned by brothers-in-law Enzo Conigliaro and Marcello Bucca, is named after the duo’s wives Maria Zito-Bucca and Michelle Zito-Conigliaro. Their second location will be just like the Seventh Avenue location, a new take on the old-fashioned Italian deli, but will have full table service with waiters.

The “Brooklyn-themed modern Italian-American sandwich shop” is not the regular Italian delicatessen. It’s menu, ingredients, interior design and over-all vibe gained influence from an old-country philosophy and the slow food movement.

They are holding their soft opening on Thursday night, which is invite only, but will have their doors swinging open, on their black-painted steel belted façade by 11 a.m. Friday, June 22.

The concept for Zito’s is the “Italian food philosophy”, as Marcello Bucca said, “To use what you have around you.”

Bucca, whose wife Maria is a co-owner of , said that their ingredients for these subs are delivered fresh everyday.

"So we are using the freshest, highest quality and with-in-arms-length products to make a sandwich,” Bucca said.

They make their own mozzarella. They fry rice balls to order, to pay homage to the late Joe Suprette of Smith Street, and even have their wives' favorite sandwich: "Panelle," fried chick pea fritters. And what they cannot make, they get from the best. Their products are from various New York City staples who have been in business for generations.

On Wednesday, Enzo Conigliaro was running around the new location to fix up some odds and ends with the former Press 195’s manager, Cameron Lewin, who will manage Zito’s with Press’s staff who all made the jump with Zito’s.

“I feel good, it’s exciting,” Conigliaro said. “We are definitely ready for Friday. We are going to have a Fifth Avenue Zito’s — same menu, different venue.”

The new space with have about 40 seats inside, with eight bench seats, eight chairs at tables, five bar stools, eight stools at a side-wall table and five stools at the window in front. Their backyard will also have 40 seats.

The tables will be butcher block wood, Edison light bulbs will illuminate the space and subway tile line the walls. They also have two flat screen TVs, one above the bar and the other in the dining section inside.

Lewin said they have been working hard, but he is also ready to go.

“It was the fastest overhaul I have ever seen,” Lewin said. “We are looking forward to the new blood and the new Zito’s vibe to take over.”

Conigliaro said that the new demographic two avenues over from their flagship location, is an exciting aspect of their new business.

“I think Fifth Avenue has a younger crowd than Seventh Avenue,” Conigliaro said. “We’re excited for the bar scene and give the community a new place to eat and drink.”