Astoria Biz Owner Spotlight: Steven of Quontic Bank

Welcome to another Astoria Business Owner Spotlight! Today we have Steven Schnall of Quontic Bank. Take it away!

Name of Business:

Quontic Bank

Owned by:

Steven Schnall, chairman and CEO

Year opened:

2009

Address:

31-05 Broadway (at the Broadway subway stop, next to Starbucks)

What are you known for?

Some people know Quontic Bank as that orange bank at the Broadway subway stop. Our customers know Quontic Bank has the bank behind some great neighborhood businesses, such as King of Falafel and Romano’s Pizza.  Others know Quontic Bank for our 5-star service. When you bank with us, our staff really get to know you, call you by name and understand and respond to your specific needs. I am CEO, but also a serial entrepreneur, so I make sure we offer practical business banking and flexible lending solutions – the likes of what I demand from those I bank with (though today it’s Quontic Bank). We also offer personal banking (checking and savings), home mortgages, commercial mortgages and more.

What made you decide to open a business in Astoria?

So many reasons; the first of which was my long-time friend, business partner, chief lending officer and mortgage division president George Lazaridis. Having lived in Astoria most of his life (and being Greek, well Cypriote), George is virtually a native Astorian. George and I worked together in a prior business and I always looked forward to spending time in his Astoria division which he ran so passionately and successfully. I also always appreciated the cultural diversity and vibrancy of Astoria and grew to truly love the ‘neighborhood feel’ of Astoria.  Sure, this is New York City, but Astoria is ripe with charm and the countless ‘mom-and-pop’ businesses that lend the feeling of small-town America.  Second, Astoria has always been a robust hub for business in Queens; and a lot of great businesses we hope to make our customers. Now, with Astoria as our home base, we are a federally chartered, Member FDIC bank located in four states which lends nationwide.  Our flagship branch and four-story headquarters are right at the Broadway subway stop.

What’s been your favorite moment since opening so far?

There have been so many great moments since Quontic Bank opened here in Astoria. We have so many great business banking customers, who we’ve watched grow their businesses and enjoy great success, such as the King of Falafel & Shawarma. Owner Freddy started banking with us when he owned a single food truck outside our bank branch on Broadway and 31st Street. Today, he has food trucks throughout Astoria, Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well as a very popular brick-and-mortar restaurant at 30-15 Broadway.

What’s your favorite place to grab food when you’re working?

Wow. Tough question! If we worked in any other neighborhood, I’d have a much easier time answering—but that’s the thing about Astoria; there are so many fantastic restaurants here! My favorite place to grab food while I’m working changes from week-to-week, but I probably find myself going to Sanford’s most frequently lately. The salmon is amazing.

What’s a hidden Astoria secret you feel like people don’t know about that you absolutely love?

It’s no secret Astoria has some absolutely amazing food, but it’s probably best known for its Greek restaurants. Still, there are some really great Greek restaurants that I feel few people know about. Take, for example, Aliada Restaurant at 29-19 Broadway. Everything is fresh.

If you have friends or family visiting Astoria, where do you take them?

I love taking friends and family to enjoy some amazing Greek cuisine at Loukoumi Taverna (another business banking customer of ours, by the way). Loukoumi is located at 45-07 Ditmars Blvd. Few people know about this restaurant because it’s far from the train, but the food is well worth the walk.

How have you seen Astoria change since you’ve been here?

Astoria has definitely changed a lot over the years. There is a lot of new residential development. New restaurants and bars. New shops. Citibike is coming soon. All the while, Quontic Bank has grown here too. We’ve expanded twice in Astoria so far, so we’re happy to be headquartered here in Astoria–and grow with the neighborhood.  But, the one thing I’m noticing more now than ever is that Astoria’s reputation as a “cool” and “hip” place to live is growing as well. People are coming to live in Astoria, not just from Manhattan, but from other parts of the city (and, well, the world too).

What’s you’re favorite part of owning a business in Queens?

The best thing about owning a business in Queens is the people I get to interact with on a daily basis. They call Queens the world’s borough. There’s incredible diversity here. We see it in our banking and home mortgage customers. People come from all over the world to open businesses here and realize the dream of homeownership. At Quontic Bank, we’re happy to play a small part in helping make it all happen.