Funway Cafe Merges with 'Stoneforge' Restaurants; Opening of 'Stoneforge Foxboro' Just Weeks Away; Group Eyes Additional Sites Throughout N.E.

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Michael Intoccia has merged his Funway Cafe, a popular spot for family dining on Route 1 Foxboro for the past six years, with the burgeoning Stoneforge restaurant group.

There will be no restaurant activity at the Funway site for the next four to five weeks while Intoccia and his partners completely transform it into the "Stoneforge Foxboro." All Funway gift certificates will be honored indefinitely at Stoneforge Foxboro.

"When we re-open in August, Stoneforge Foxboro will be a jewel," declared Intoccia, a well-known developer and entrepreneur in the region. "We're prepared to commit all the assets necessary to create the pre-eminent 'destination restaurant' in the area."

Along with Chris Spinazzola and William "Bill" Roland, Intoccia is developing Stoneforge Foxboro, and plans to open Stoneforges throughout New England over the next three to five years.

Roland on his own created the Stoneforge concept in the late 1990's and has been refining it ever since at two restaurants in the southern suburbs of Boston. His decision to join forces with Intoccia and Spinazzola is a "natural but dramatic step in the evolution of a fresh, exciting, market-tested restaurant experience," Roland said.

The new restaurant, Stoneforge Foxboro, will have an open floor plan with sweeping views from one end to the other. There will be a spacious entryway with a working fireplace, a 60-seat bar, a large "display kitchen," and an extra-long "chef's table" next to the kitchen. Outside, on an enclosed patio, will be a smaller area for dining centered on a custom-built stone fireplace.

Stoneforge Foxboro will also have a separate, luxuriously appointed room with bar service, 10 to 12 championship-style pool tables, flat-screen televisions, and leather chairs and couches.

The group has brought in Steve Tedesco of 3-D Design to work on the concept and design of Stoneforge Foxboro. Tedesco has many noteworthy restaurants to his credit, having designed the Davio's in Park Square, Boston; Avila on South Charles Street, Boston; the "Stoneforge Easton," and more than 30 different Palm restaurants.

"Stoneforge Foxboro will entice all the senses," said Spinazzola, managing partner of the group. "From the aroma of apple wood burning in the fireplace just inside the door to the smell of steaks grilling on an open fire in the display kitchen, this will be a place that creates its own special energy and excitement. You'll be able to see everything that's going on as soon as you walk in to the door."

Roland, chief executive of Genesis Creative Properties, opened the first Stoneforge restaurant in Raynham in 1998 and the second in Easton in 2005.

According to Intoccia, the group is already at work on a restaurant conversion project in Plymouth, and is seriously considering sites in Hingham, Wayland, Dartmouth and Franklin for additional restaurants.

The Stoneforge Steakhouse and Raw Bar is set to open at 140 Warren Ave., (Route 3A), Plymouth, at about the same time as Stoneforge Foxboro.

"And that's just the beginning," Intoccia said. "We believe the Stoneforge concept is going to catch on in a big way, not only because of the special ambiance we're creating in each restaurant, but also because our chefs are focusing on organic ingredients and healthful cooking. The menus are attractive to all customers: meat lovers, fish lovers, vegetarians - even Ph.D.'s in nutrition - will love the meals at Stoneforge."

Asked why Stoneforge is supplanting the Funway Cafe, Intoccia said, "Stoneforge is a sophisticated concept, and it augments and supports what we're doing at Christina's," referring to the adjoining Christina's Function Facilities.

The plan, Intoccia said, is for Stoneforge Foxboro and Christina's to form the "elegant side" of an existing, large entertainment complex, located less than a mile up the road from Gillette Stadium. The other side is more casual and more oriented to children and young adults, including as it does, he explained, the two-acre Funway USA Park and the Funway USA Game room. The park features attractions such as go-karts, miniature golf, bumper boats, batting cages, rock climbing and bungee jumping.

The game room has always been a part of the Funway Cafe, and it will remain open to the public while the cafe is converted to Stoneforge Foxboro and a new and expanded game room is built in a spot conveniently close to Funway USA Park.

Once the new game room is ready, the old game room will be converted to the plush room in the Stoneforge containing the top-grade pool tables and other amenities.

Funway USA Park and Christina's will be open every day during construction of the new restaurant and game room; their operations will not be impacted in any way by the project.

Stoneforge Foxboro, Intoccia noted, is in tune with the way Route 1 is evolving. "We're up the street now from the best stadium in the country. Soon, there'll be an upscale mall going in there. Lots of good changes are occurring. We're helping to promote that process."

The menu at Stoneforge Foxboro will include what Roland describes as "our signature Stoneforge dishes, such as the 22-ounce house Delmonico steak, thick center-cut swordfish and tuna steaks, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and a creative line of entree salads."

The restaurant "will also be placing unique twists on old-favorite appetizers and entrees to enhance the flavors and presentation," he said, "and will be using many different cooking methods to seal in flavors, such as extreme high-heat grilling, pan roasting and searing, brick-oven fire roasting, and hot-stone cooking right at the diner's table. These methods will be unique in the area."

Roland also promised a "fantastic selection" of wines, beers and liquors."

"Chris (Spinazzola) is one of the most respected figures in the restaurant industry in Massachusetts," said Roland. "Mike (Intoccia) is an expert in construction and a respected businessman. My expertise is in systems planning, management and culinary arts. Together, we're going to bring Stoneforge to a consistently higher level. We're going to have a brand that instantly calls to mind the idea of a fun dining experience in a classy setting, but which doesn't cost you an arm and a leg."