Popular Cranford Restaurant Expands With Family-Friendly Pizza Space

ANFORD, NJ — A familiar downtown restaurant is set to expand after receiving approval to add a new casual, family-friendly pizza space inside its existing South Avenue East location.

At their meeting on Wednesday night, the Cranford Township Planning Board approved the project for the restaurant at 100 South Avenue East, which plans to build a 780-square-foot mezzanine level inside the former bank building it occupies. The addition will introduce a more relaxed, pizzeria-style option while keeping the restaurant’s main dining room unchanged.

Managing partner Charlie Magjuni said the idea is centered on making better use of the building’s existing space while offering something more accessible for families.

“We have the space for an expansion to create a casual area for families,” Magjuni said. “The idea is to add a more relaxed, family-friendly space with TVs and a pizzeria-style feel.”

Project architect Richard J. Pierce said the building’s structure and layout made the concept workable.

“It’s a pretty large two-story space,” Pierce said. “The project is to introduce a pizzeria concept, possibly with takeout, within that existing footprint.”

Magjuni said the goal is not to change the restaurant’s identity, but to expand what it already offers.

“Our focus is still dining,” he said. “This is about bringing in more families and offering a more casual area while keeping the main dining experience the same.”

He added that the idea came in part from customer feedback over time.

“People have often asked for a separate, more casual area,” Magjuni said. “This allows us to offer that while keeping everything else the same.”

Planning Board members said the addition fits a broader demand for more family-friendly dining options in the downtown area.

“I think this will bring more business into it,” said Board Vice Chair Donna Pedde. “It adds another option for families dining out with children.”

Board Member Stephen Dunn said the change could make the space more inviting for parents and children.

“I’ve walked by and thought I wouldn’t bring my kids into the main dining area,” Dunn said. “This kind of addition makes it more approachable for families.”

Planning Board Chair Juan Carlos Nordelo said the restaurant has already played a positive role in the downtown district.

“You operate a well-run restaurant that contributes to the vitality of our downtown,” Nordelo said.

Once the approval is formalized at the next Planning Board meeting, expansion plans can continue.