Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana |
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The Frank Pepe sign on Wooster Street
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1925 |
| Food type | New Haven-style pizza |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Street address | 157 & 163 Wooster Street |
| City | New Haven |
| State | Connecticut |
| Postal/ZIP code | 06511-5709 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 41°18′10″N 72°55′01″W / 41.302907°N 72.916933°W |
| Reservations | Not taken |
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, often called Pepe's, is a very famous pizza restaurant. It's located in the Wooster Square area of New Haven, Connecticut, at 163 Wooster Street. Pepe's first opened its doors in 1925. This makes it one of the oldest and most well-known pizza places in the United States.
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The Story of Frank Pepe
Pepe's was started in 1925 by Frank Pepe. He was born in Maiori, Italy, in 1893. When he was a teenager in 1909, Frank moved to New Haven. He got a job at a factory, but he didn't really like it.
During World War I, Frank went back to Italy to fight for his home country. After the war, he returned to New Haven. He soon found work at a bakery on Wooster Street. Frank started selling his "tomato pies" by walking around the Wooster Square market. He even sold them from a special hat!
Frank saved enough money to buy a wagon. From this wagon, he sold his pizzas. He was so good at it that he eventually bought the bakery where he worked. On June 16, 1925, he opened the first "Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana." Frank Pepe passed away in 1969.
Pepe's Pizza History
Frank Pepe created the famous New Haven-style thin-crust pizza. This type of pizza is similar to Neapolitan Italian pizza. He cooked his pizzas in a special coal-fired brick oven.
When Pepe's first opened, Frank only made two kinds of pizza. One was the "tomato pie." It had tomatoes, grated pecorino romano cheese, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. The other pizza had the same ingredients, but with added anchovies.
The land where Pepe's first restaurant stood belonged to the Boccamiello family. They later asked Frank Pepe to leave. They wanted to open their own pizza place there, which they called The Spot. Frank moved his restaurant next door in 1936. Years later, in 1981, the Pepe family bought back The Spot. Now, both restaurants serve the same delicious menu.
The Famous White Clam Pie
In the alley between Pepe's and The Spot, a man named Bear sold fresh clams. Pepe's started serving littleneck clams at their bar. Soon, Frank decided to put the clams on a pizza!
The white clam pie is very simple. It has crust, olive oil, oregano, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and fresh littleneck clams. The restaurant can make it with or without mozzarella cheese. However, they prefer not to add mozzarella. They feel it makes the pizza too heavy.
Pepe's insists on using only freshly opened clams. If fresh clams are not available, they will not sell the white clam pie. Three people work at Pepe's just to open clams! Since it was invented, the white clam pie has become the most famous pizza in New Haven.
Pepe's Expands
In 2015, Pepe's announced plans to open in Boston. Their Chestnut Hill location opened on December 16, 2015. On April 17, 2017, the 9th Pepe's location opened in Waterbury, CT. The newest Pepe's opened at the Burlington Mall in Burlington, MA, on June 10, 2019.
What's on the Menu?
All Pepe's locations have the same menu. Since 1925, Pepe's has only served Foxon Park bottled sodas. These sodas come from East Haven, Connecticut. The restaurant offers soda, beer, wine, and many kinds of pizzas with different toppings.
The Special Ovens
All of Pepe's ovens are heated by coal. They are built in the same way using bricks, just like the original oven. Each oven is about 14 feet by 14 feet. They cook pizzas very quickly, in about 8 to 10 minutes. The ovens get super hot, reaching about 650 degrees Fahrenheit (343 degrees Celsius).
Pepe's Locations
Pepe's has grown into a small family-owned chain. Nine relatives are co-owners of the chain. These include grandsons Gary Bimonte and Francis Rosselli. All locations look similar with green and white designs. They also use the same square pizza pans and get ingredients from the same suppliers.
- 163 Wooster Street, New Haven, CT- "The Spot" – (1925)
- 157 Wooster Street, New Haven, CT – (1936)
- 238 Commerce Drive, Fairfield, CT – (March 2006)
- 221 Buckland Hills Drive, Manchester, CT – (September 2007)
- 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino (July 1, 2009)
- 1955 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY – (November 2009)
- 59 Federal Road, Danbury, CT – (January 2011)
- 1148 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, CT – (September 23, 2013)
- 199 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA – (December 16, 2015)
- 130 Reidville Drive, Waterbury, CT -- (April 17, 2017)
- 21 Universal Boulevard, Warwick, Rhode Island – (April 30, 2018)
- Burlington Mall, Burlington, Massachusetts
- 24 Eldridge Avenue, Watertown, Massachusetts
Friendly Pizza Rivalry
Another pizza restaurant on Wooster Street is Sally's Apizza. It was started in 1938 by Sal Consiglio, who was Frank Pepe's nephew. Sally's and Pepe's have a long, friendly competition. Pizza fans often argue about which one serves better pizza! For example, singer Frank Sinatra loved Sally's. But President Ronald Reagan preferred Pepe's.
Pepe's Popularity
Pepe's is a very busy place. People in New Haven will happily wait in line for hours to get a table. This happens even in bad weather! Waiting to be seated is almost as much a tradition as the pizza itself. Pepe's is also a big tourist attraction in New Haven.
Pepe's has won many awards and been recognized for its amazing pizza:
- 1999: Pepe's was added to the James Beard Foundation's list of "America's Classics."
- 2006: The History Channel's American Eats show said Pepe's started New Haven-style pizza in 1925.
- 2009: The Guardian newspaper called Pepe's the "Best Pizza on Earth."
- 2009: Alan Richman, a food writer for GQ magazine, said Pepe's tomato pizza was the twelfth best in the country.
- 2009: Connecticut Magazine named Pepe's the best pizza in the state.
- 2010: Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana was added to the Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame.
- 2013: Zagat said Pepe's white clam pizza was the best in Connecticut.
- 2013: The website The Daily Meal named Pepe's white clam pizza the best in the country.
- 2014: For the second year in a row, The Daily Meal called Pepe's white clam pizza the best in the country.
Pepe's in Film
Pepe's is one of three pizza restaurants shown in the movie Pizza A Love Story. The film was directed by Gorman Bechard. This movie is a "love story" to New Haven's three famous pizza places: Pepe's, Sally's, and Modern. The film first showed in April 2019. It was released on DVD and for rent on September 29, 2020.
Famous Visitors to Pepe's
Many famous people have visited the New Haven location of Pepe's. These include:
