DIY pizzeria Piecraft in Island Park reinvents its menu

In the fall of 2016, DIY pizzerias were riding high. National chains PizzaRev and Blaze were opening up all over Long Island and Piecraft, a homegrown operation that started in Island Park, opened a second restaurant in Wantagh.

Fast forward to 2018 and the trend has slowed. Two of four PizzaRevs have closed as has the lone outpost of California-based Pizza Studio. Piecraft in Wantagh is closed, and, last week, the original Island Park Piecraft (est. 2015) expanded its menu to include pasta, burgers and sandwiches.

Chris Dolan, co-owner, with Thomas Corning, of Piecraft, said that customers drove the expansion. “People were complaining that we didn’t have enough options,” he said. “Half the family wanted to come for the pizza, but the other half didn’t.”

At the retooled Piecraft, takeout customers still design their pies, Chipotle-style, at a counter. But eat-in customers just order off the menu and wait for their pie to be delivered.

Piecraft’s new menu features seven pastas (spaghetti and meatballs, $16.95; shrimp fra diavolo, $16.95), five sandwiches (double cheeseburger with grilled onions and Thousand Island dressing, $13.95; short-rib grilled cheese, $15.95) and five entrees (chicken scarpariello meatloaf, $15.95; cherry-pepper pork chop, $24.95). Snacks include a chicken Francese eggroll ($10.95) and truffle fries ($6.95). The restaurant continues to serve wine, craft beers and cocktails.

Dolan allowed that DIY pizza has proved to be a tough sell on Long Island. “Most of these places started in California where they don’t really have a pizza culture,” he said. “Here everyone has a go-to pizzeria and there’s no point in going up against a Sicilian slice from Gino’s.”

Piecraft’s Wantagh location was closed by a burst pipe in February. The owners are still negotiating with the landlord over the future of the space.

Piecraft is at 4585 Austin Blvd., Island Park, 516-690-8800, piecraftny.com.