When Josh Chaitovsky was a young staff member at Camp Nesher in the Pocono Mountains, he and a few friends bemoaned the lack of kosher food establishments in the surrounding area. There were essentially none, and Chaitovsky decided that someday he would open one up himself.
“My friends and I were thinking we could fill that need ourselves,” Chaitovksy shared with the Jewish Link. “No one else was doing it, so why not us? And so a few years later, I went for it. I tested pizza recipes in my parents’ home and started looking for a location near the camps. I’m proud to say that the pizza recipe today is pretty much the same as the original recipe that was decided upon all those years ago.”
Chaitovsky opened Lake Como Pizza when he was only 19 and it swiftly became a summer staple for both campers and parents alike. There has not been a Visiting Day when the line has not stretched well into the parking lot.
“It blows my mind how this place has grown,” Chaitovsky continued. “We’ve really been embraced by the surrounding community and it’s a high honor that so many people now consider stopping by our stores as part of their summer camp experience.”
The restaurant’s property has experienced impressive expansion over the years, including the addition of a sushi establishment and Golan Heights, offering shawarma, poppers, wings and more.
“We’ve got some really cool stuff happening this year,” Chaitovsky shared. “DJ’s Ice Cream has moved onto our property, along with all the classic favorites like flurries, sundaes and Italian ice. It’s just across the street from the original location. We’re also opening an outdoor laser tag course on the back end of the property. When people visit, they can now enjoy more than just great food, there’s also amazing entertainment to go with it. It really is going to add a whole new dimension to our offerings!”
Chaitovsky is especially excited to see the course open.
“I think laser tag is going to be a favorite,” Chaitovsky continued. “There’s so much fun you can have with it, and the course is really something special. We went the extra mile to give it a unique feel — it’ll be an experience that participants will remember.”
Chaitovsky is now in his 40s and has since opened a number of additional restaurants in New York and New Jersey, including Lake Como Pizza across the street from Yeshiva University in Washington Heights. The location in the Poconos, however, remains Chaitovsky’s sentimental favorite, harkening back to where it all started with the original idea of offering kosher food near the summer camps. This will be the venue’s 21st year in operation.
“I’m really looking forward to opening this summer — it all starts on June 22 with laser tag following shortly after,” said Chaitovsky. He also reported that there is even more expansion to come, but the public will have to stay tuned to find out the details. For now, he is focused on gearing up for the summer season and getting everything in line ahead of opening day.
“Schools are wrapping up and everyone’s going to be heading upstate for camp before we know it,” Chaitovsky went on to say. “We can’t wait for everyone to arrive and look forward to people stopping by. It’s going to be a great summer!”
To learn more about Lake Como Pizza, email to [email protected].
Adam Samuel is a journalist from Teaneck. He blogs at www.adamssoapbox.com.
