FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
How Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian Restaurant Came to Placentia
Vinnie, Tony, Sam and Sophie, Best Pizza in Orange County,
etc.
September 29, 2000 - In 1979 while
"I’ll Never Love This Way Again" Dionne Warwick (Arista), "She
Believes in Me" Kenny Rogers (UA), "You Don’t Bring Me Flowers"
- Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond , "My Sharona" - The Knack,
"I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor, and "Do Ya Think I’m
Sexy" - Rod Stewart were top hits Vinnie, who had just moved from Brooklyn,
New York, opened a bakery in the Southern California suburban town of Placentia
with a population of about 34,000 people. By his own admission and as evidenced
by his large frame, Vinnie loved to eat. Besides sampling his baked goods he
would make himself and his co-workers snacks and lunch while working at the
bakery. Before long, Vinnie was making pizza at his bakery and people were
always telling him that his pizza was positively the best they had ever tasted.
Convinced that his pizza recipe would be a big hit, Vinnie converted his bakery
into a pizzeria within a few months of opening.
Vinnie’s Brooklyn Pizza Works took Placentia by storm. The
business at the pizzeria was steadily increasing and within six months of
opening the pizzeria, Vinnie added Italian specialties to the menu and renamed
the place to Vinnie’s Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian Restaurant. One day
Vinnie hung one of his old car license plates on the wall, and before long,
customers began to give their license plates from states throughout the country
to go onto the wall in the lobby.
From 1979 to 1982 Brooklyn Pizza Works became so popular and
developed so many regular customers that word got around to the newspapers and
restaurant critics. In 1982, Vinnie’s Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian
Restaurant received the coveted "Best Pizza in Orange County" award in
the Art and Leisure section of the Orange County Register from the tough to
please restaurant critic, Barry Koltnow. After receiving the award, even more
people flocked to Vinnie’s Brooklyn Pizza Works.
On the weekends (and sometimes during the week) there were
lines to get into the restaurant. Vinnie, who was quite a character, would
prepare spicy garlic bread and serve little slices to the hungry patrons waiting
30 minutes to an hour in the lobby, and then anxiously await their beverage
orders. Actually, Vinnie took great pride in his restaurant and the food he
served. He insisted on using only the freshest high-quality ingredients and he
carefully made sure every dish the restaurant served was as it should be. When
the restaurant was open, Vinnie was there, watching over everyone and everything
and serving and preparing his delicious and authentic Italian specialties and
pizza. He also did quite a bit of schmoozing with the patrons.
People were wild about his original creations like the
"Maggie" pizza, a pizza made with crushed red peppers, fresh roasted
garlic, and Marcella wine that’s excellent with roasted strips of chicken breast.
In 1989 Vinnie decided it was time to expand. His vision was
to have a chain of restaurants. He decided to open his second restaurant in
Newport Beach California. Tony Marcoli (who was quite an accomplished
restaurateur himself) took over the helm in Placentia. Vinnie got so involved in
his new restaurant, Tony ended up taking over entirely and became the new owner.
To the delight of all the regular customers, Tony kept ALL of Vinnie’s
original dishes and recipes, and retailed the cooking and serving staff, and the
name people came to know so well, "Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian
Restaurant."
In 1992 Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian Restaurant was
awarded the Best Pizza in Orange County for the 2nd time
by the Orange County Register.
A large screen TV and wall mounted TVs were added along with
a satellite hookup, and the restaurant started to do quite a bit of business for
Monday Night Football and other sporting events. There were also more beers
(draft and bottle), wines, and desserts added.
In 1998, Tony, who had been thinking about retirement for the
past five years, entered into negotiations with Sam and Sophie for the sale of
the restaurant. Sam and Sophie worked in the restaurant for months alongside
Tony before actually taking over. Just as Tony had done before them, Sam and
Sophie retained all of the original dishes and recipes that made and continues
to make Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian Restaurant so popular.
Sam and Sophie did make some changes, however. They expanded
the hours, increased the portion sizes, made fresh hot bread complimentary, and
added more dishes. They also made customer service a top priority. They quickly
made sure all patrons received complimentary water, fresh hot bread, soft drink
refills, and that dishes would be made any way the patrons wanted. This husband
and wife team has worked side by side in the restaurant every day since they
took over nearly 3 years ago. Sam oversees the kitchen and Sophie oversees the
service.
In spite of growing competition from new pizza, hamburger,
chicken fast food restaurants and the conversion of the motor vehicle office to
an auto dealer’s only service center, Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian
Restaurant has a steady business and a growing following of regular customers.
Although most of the customers are local, there are quite a few regulars who
come from all over Los Angeles and Orange County.
While hundreds of restaurants and businesses have come and
gone, Brooklyn Pizza Works and Italian Restaurant will be celebrating its
22-year anniversary. Over the past two decades the restaurant has served
hundreds of thousands of pizzas and sponsored youth sports, non-profit groups,
and needy individuals and kept the tradition of serving hot fresh, delicious,
and authentic Italian specialties and pizzas alive started by Vinnie back in the
days when he was perfecting his recipes in his bakery.
For More Information Contact:
Brooklyn Pizza Works
1235 East Imperial Highway
Placentia, CA 92870-1718
Phone: 714-524-1260
Fax: 714-524-1267
Email: admin@brooklyn-pizza-works.com
Web: http://www.brooklyn-pizza-works.com
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