Restaurant or night club? Marino's owner wants Cocoa restaurant to be known for its food

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Editor's note: Marino's owner Marino Biondini said the after-hours portion of his establishment is no longer called El Secreto. This story was edited April 1, 2022, to reflect that.

Marino Biondini wants people to visit Marino's, his Cocoa Village restaurant that opened in January, for its good Italian food and friendly atmosphere.

Chef Joel Lyons has created a menu of Italian favorites, with scratch-made sauces and fresh pasta. Craft cocktails, beer and wine are served in the 1900s bank building, which is casually elegant and welcoming with its soaring ceilings and second-floor gallery.

What Biondini doesn't want is for what happened in the early morning hours of March 12 to shape potential diners' opinion of the restaurant.

Late night on Fridays and Saturdays, Marino's stays open until 2 a.m.

In mid-March, a fight started in the club. Biondini said his security team pushed those involved outside and called Cocoa police. The scuffle continued in a nearby parking lot. Shots were fired. A 24-year-old man was injured and a 25-year-old man was arrested.

More: Man charged with attempted murder after early-morning shooting in Cocoa Village

Biondini said he doesn't want to attract trouble makers. He has a four-person security team watching over the crowd, and is considering implementing a dress code and metal detectors as a way to deter future problems.

The club brings in people, mostly in their 20s and early 30s, for dancing.

"We have a younger crowd who want to come have a good time," he said.

The night club pays the bills while the restaurant gets its footing, Biondini said, and it's the restaurant he wants to promote.

"To me, this is my life," Biondini said. "If this doesn't work, I have to start over."

This is Biondini's third attempt at making a restaurant work in a space on Harrison Avenue that has been home to a sports bar, a Korean barbecue restaurant and a fine-dining establishment.

He opened El Bodegon, a white-tablecloth eatery serving Spanish and Basque food, in 2017, having owned a restaurant by the same name for six years in Winter Park. Biondini said he gained a following of people who enjoyed the paella and tapas such as coctel de camarones con salsa de queso (shrimp served with a savory queso) and empanada.

El Bodegon fell victim to COVID-19, but Biondini wasn't deterred. In August 2020, he helped open Tapa n Tacos, a more casual restaurant and bar. He kept some of the Spanish favorites, but added craft cocktails and less expensive Mexican dishes to the menu.

El Secreto, the weekend night club, opened at the same time.

Biondini had a falling out with a business partner and left Tapa n Tacos in September 2021. He returned to the property in January, and rebranded the restaurant as Marino's.

He had been the face of El Bodegon and Tapa n Tacos, greeting guests in the dining room and often taking and delivering orders. Friends told him: "Put your name on it so they know it's you."

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Marino's has taken on a distinctly Italian flavor, thanks to Lyons, who spent time at Genna's Pizza and Amici's in Melbourne.

"Joel created a menu that's small, fresh and easy," Biondini said. "He comes out and talks to the guests, cooks something just for them."

"This is right up my alley," Lyons said. "I've been cooking Italian food for 35 years."

A few of the Spanish favorites remain, including the shrimp with queso and pulpo conchorizo, smoked octopus with chorizo and potatoes. Paella will be offered occasionally as a special.

Biondini also said he is continuing to make some of the cocktails he learned from Ben Jewel, who helped open Tapa n Tacos.

"We'll have fresh margaritas on tap," Biondini said. "Come for the food, stay for the drinks."

Wanda Shultz of Cocoa said she has supported Biondini since he came to the area. He's an ambitious young man, she said, and she's rooting for him to succeed. She recently visited Marino's and was pleased with the experience.

"The food was amazing, drinks were perfect," she said. "His new chef is on point."

Biondini is determined to make Marino's work. When he opened El Bodegon, it was a family business, with his mother, his wife and his sister-in-law. His mother passed away, his brother and sister-in-law moved to St. Augustine. Then COVID hit.

"I was forced to step back and let someone else make the decisions," he said.

Now he's concentrating on preparing fresh food and fresh cocktails, and training a team that will take good care of customers. The restaurant is open five days a week for dinner only, which means he and the staff get two days off and a chance at a normal life.

"I feel like I couldn't walk away from this," he said. "I'm not throwing in the towel."

Marino's is at 114 Harrison St., Cocoa Village. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The night club is open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: After shooting, Marino's in Cocoa is beefing up security and menu