New joint on the block

The BZA approved a barbecue restaurant at the corner of South Village Avenue and Merrick Road, where Ray’s Tasty Deli used to be.

Christina Daly/Herald

Merrick Road will become more populated as a new barbecue restaurant — “The Smoking Rib” — is coming to Rockville Centre. The Board of Zoning Appeals approved the restaurant for 2 S. Village Avenue and 226 Merrick Road — the former site of Ray’s Tasty Deli.

This is a victory for prospective owners Michael and Aracelis Del Ray of East Rockaway, who recently sold their Queens bagel store, Bricktown Bagels. The new restaurant will serve “upscale family barbecue,” according to the Del Ray’s attorney, Alan Stein.

The restaurant had to go the BZA because its occupied spaces — the first floor and the basement — require 34 spaces under village code, but there are none provided. This was not a requirement when it was Ray’s Tasty Deli because that was considered a retail use. Stein said that the basement should not count as an occupied space because it would be used for storage and employee lockers, not people.

Stein said that the restaurant should not need to have 34 spaces because half of that space would be unoccupied. “For the record, had we continued with a retail use, we would not be here at all,” said Stein. “And had the basement not been finished, whatever that means, that would not have even been part of the mix.”

Building Department superintendent Dan Casella said that code counts the basement as an occupied space because it is finished — even though none of the customers will be using that space.

Stein also cited the decision for Chat Noir’s expansion, in which the BZA said that allowing a parking variance would not negatively change the surrounding neighborhood.

Thomas Glynn, owner of the nearby funeral home on 20 Lincoln Ave., spoke in support of the restaurant. “There’s ample public parking in that area — within walking distance of their building, my building,” Glynn said. “And very honestly, the landlord has done a great job of refurbishing these buildings, and I would certainly rather see the building occupied and being used than sitting as it is now with a sign in the window. It doesn’t bode well for the area.”

Opinions from nearby businesses are not as positive, however. Megan Dorso from Ooh La La Boutique at 222 Merrick Road and Alex Djorayev from Rockville Barber Shop at 224 Merrick Road said that while the restaurant would bring more customers to their businesses, parking lots in the immediate area are already crowded. Eduardo Martinez from Chat Noir disagreed. “There’s a lot of parking lots around here,” he said.

Glynn also asked that there would not be loud outside music from the restaurant. The BZA set that as a condition, along with an occupancy limit of 47 guests, and a sign that must show where parking is available, such as Municipal Lot four. Stein said that “The Smoking Rib” would “hopefully” begin construction in a few weeks.