Froggy’s, the family-owned sandwich shop with five locations in northern Westchester, Putnam and Connecticut, will be opening in downtown Briarcliff Manor in the coming months.
The chain’s first franchise will be located on the first floor of 1123 Pleasantville Road, the new three-story building next to The Patio at 1133 Pleasantville Road.
Both spaces are owned by Anthony Matra of Matra Building Corp., and the two restaurants will share the outdoor dining area that separates them.
The Briarcliff shop, where interior work started in mid-October, had not announced an opening date as of press time.
It will be run by a pair who’ve managed the shop’s other locations: Max Germaine, 24, of Somers, and Anthony Cartaino, 23, of Carmel. Both worked for Froggy’s founders John and Anthony Russo, who opened their first shop in Somers in 2011.
“When he saw that big new building there, we thought it was a great opportunity for us. It really stands out,” Germaine said.
Froggy’s serves breakfast and lunch sandwiches served on kaiser rolls and in bowls and wraps with names like the NYSEG, Tony Soprano and the Goliath.
Lunchtime favorites are the Froggy (chicken cutlet, bacon, American cheese, mac and cheese bites, chipotle mayo); and the Lawsuit (chicken cutlet, bacon, muenster cheese, Russian dressing), which gets its name for a legal tussle with a competitor.
The Tusker (bacon, two fried eggs, American cheese, hash browns and hot sauce) is named for the Somers High School mascot.
Germaine said an edible namesake for Briarcliff was under consideration. “We’ll definitely be pushing for a Briarcliff-themed sandwich,” he said.
The store will occupy about 1,400 square feet and have several tables inside. It will employ about 10 people to start. Hiring had not begun as of mid-October. Store hours will be 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Online takeout is available through the website.
Froggy’s spotlights featured sandwiches each month (in October it’s the Sloppy Goblin) and will be offering seasonal food and beverages specials.
Germaine, a Somers native, became a Froggy’s regular while growing up. He started working for the Russos parttime in his late teens and came back after graduating college and went fulltime, ultimately managing the flagship store.
Cartaino joined the team right out of Carmel High School and was trained by Germaine. He has managed shops in each of the chain’s five locations except Brewster.
The two franchisees feel they fit in well with the village’s downtown business community. “I think that there’s more than enough volume and space for all the food establishments to be successful together,” Germaine said.
Froggy’s co-founder Anthony Russo said launching their first franchise was about providing an opportunity for Germaine and Cartaino, who had grown into leadership roles with the chain.
“Giving them the chance to have ownership and build something of their own, while still being part of the Froggy’s family, is exactly why we chose to franchise,” Russo said.
Matra said in September that his building’s second- and third-floor apartments were all leased, and he was in discussions with prospective tenants for the adjoining first-floor retail space.
