Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, famously known for their award-winning hand-tossed, coal-fired brick oven pizzas and calzones, fresh salads and delicious desserts is announcing its newest location, in Tampa, Florida. Located at 8021 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, the restaurant will be one of the newest additions to Westfield Citrus Park Mall. The restaurant will offer 4,000-square-feet of indoor dining and patio space, for 150 guests.
Opening this fall, guests will be welcomed by Frank Sinatra crooning in the background, more than 100-years of pizza making traditions, and the tantalizing aroma of pizza and calzones baked to perfection in the signature coal-burning oven.
“We see a lot of opportunity in Florida and are excited to bring our New York style pizzeria to this region. We’ve found that the communities and properties are some of the best in the country,” said Joey Ciolli, president and chief executive officer of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. “Guests will feel comfortable, enjoying our coal-fired brick oven pizza, great service and all around great price.”
Currently, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria operates four locations in Florida and they continue to scout for additional communities in the region. They have shown tremendous growth and have promised to continue their expansion plans throughout the country in 2012. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria currently has twenty-seven locations across the US, including Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and its flagship stores in New York City.
In the world of pizza, Grimaldi’s is an institution that has garnered more awards than any other pizzeria in the country with more celebrity sightings than most 5-star restaurants. Using only the freshest ingredients, a “secret recipe” pizza sauce, handmade mozzarella cheese and dough, Grimaldi’s serves traditional pizza (as it began in Naples, Italy) in an upscale yet casual, family oriented pizzeria.
Designed and built by hand, the coal-fired oven at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria delivers a unique flavor and consistency that is just not possible from wood or gas ovens. Weighing in at 25 tons and heated by 100 pounds of coal per day (cleanest burning fuel available and environmentally tested), the oven heats up to 1,200 degrees. The intense heat of the oven evenly bakes the pies to create Grimaldi’s famous crispy and smoky thin crust that Zagat has voted best pizza year after year.
It has been said that the secret to true New York-style pizza is the water. Grimaldi’s believes that too, going to great lengths to keep the integrity of the water used in the Brooklyn pizzeria by hiring a chemist to analyze and recreate the mineral content and exact composition of the water to ensure the dough tastes the same in Florida.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria wholly owns and operates locations in Arizona, Texas, New York, Nevada, and Florida. Additional locations in Grapevine TX and Mt Pleasant, SC are on the drawing board.
Grimaldi’s offers guests a selection of beers as well as an extensive list of wines (by the glass and bottle) to complement their freshly prepared salads, hand tossed pizzas and calzones and famous desserts. For more information on Grimaldi’s Pizzeria visit www.grimaldispizzeria.com.
