Sorrento's to Stage Post-Sandy Comeback

Story by Chris Engelhardt

After closing its doors due to heavy damages from Hurricane Sandy, Sorrento’s, a popular dining destination in Long Beach, is scheduled to reopen within a month for the upcoming summer season.

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Anthony Sorrento and his father, Pasquale, who since 1999 have owned and managed the West Park Avenue establishment  — considered a pizzeria, deli, pastry shop and Italian meat market  — faced various problems after two feet of flooding invaded the store during the storm. They’ve been working on repairs to get it back on track but it has been a challenge.

“The front section where we have refrigeration was totally destroyed,” said Anthony Sorrento, who noted that the expenses for a new system have so far cost $86,000. “We lost all of the food. Sheetrock and construction, that’s been a big deal.”

The store’s wood-fired brick oven went unscathed, Sorrento explained, and repairs to the electrical and plumbing systems are mostly completed.New furniture, including tables and chairs, are due to arrive soon, and there will be a few changes throughout the establishment, including a larger store front and money- and energy-saving LED lighting equipment.

In addition to contending with the necessary repairs and reconstruction at his business, Sorrento has had to focus on storm-related damages to his own home in Far Rockaway. “I had eight feet of water in the house,” he said. “My dad, he’s in Howard Beach, he had six feet of water. You have to get your living quarters in order.”

Another challenge, he explained, has been supporting his employees, who have been out of work with the six-month closure of the business. “We have to see who comes back,” he said. “They’ve held off this long while unemployed. But people have families to support. It really is like starting all over again. But we’re getting things together.”

Asked when he thought the store would reopen, Sorrento told Patch last Friday: “In a month. It’s all coming together.”

As the building continues to be repaired and rebuilt and the reopening date nears, Sorrento said he has received nothing but positive responses and support from community members, who often asked about its return.

“People have been pushing for us to come back;  they were worried we wouldn’t open again,” he said. “It’s been positive. I can’t wait to get back to work, to have that normalcy. I hope within a month’s time, we open. We might have a nice party for the community. I think we all need to relax in town. We really need it.”

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