Pondi’s Restaurant Expands, Adds Market

LISBON – Pondi’s Restaurant had a momentous year in 2022, completing an expansion that nearly doubled its square footage.

Responding to their customers’ urging, owners Matt and Jessica Borza added a new dining area, kitchens and restrooms and implemented a new concept – Pondi’s Market and Carryout Kitchen – which has its own entrance.

The dining room expansion added 40 seats and provides a more comfortable atmosphere that can accommodate larger parties. The new room is also available for semi-private events.

The room’s “speakeasy” decor is an homage to Pondi’s history. It features photos from the Prohibition era when then-owner John Pondi made bathtub gin upstairs. The bathtub and one of the jugs are still upstairs.

Pondi’s Market and Carryout Kitchen has seen an overwhelming response.

“The new Pondi’s Market is exceeding our expectations,” says operating partner Treg Steves. “The demand for the freshest, highest quality meat and seafood is high. Our customers love knowing that it’s the same high quality that we serve in our restaurant.”

Pondi’s Market offers aged certified Angus beef cuts, homemade sausage, and a rotation of fresh seafood catches delivered four times a week.

It also has semi-prepared items such as crabcakes, meatballs, and take and bake family-style meals. The market’s kitchen has allowed Pondi’s to expand its catering options.

Customers now pick up all carryout orders – which can include wine and beer – through the market.

Pondi’s staff has also grown.

“We’ve always been fortunate to have a great team, but the business expansion enabled us to attract phenomenal talent in all positions,” says Matt Borza. “We’ve more than doubled in size but have been able to maintain the same culture that brought us here.

Pondi’s was established in 1916 when John and Annie Pondi opened their house to begin serving Annie’s cooking.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.