Sally's Apizza in New Haven Has Been Sold; New Owners Plan Nationwide Expansion

by Marc Hurwitz

A few years ago, we reported that a landmark pizza spot in Connecticut was up for sale after being in business for more than 75 years. Now we have learned that the sale has finally gone through--and the new owners have some big plans for the brand.

Eater states (via the Hartford Courant) that Sally's Apizza in New Haven has been sold to new owners, with the Consiglio family (who are the former owners) staying on for the next couple of months as a "management presence." The names of the new owners have not yet been given, though the Courant does says that the new owners are looking to expand Sally's nationwide; it is not yet known if the Boston area could be included in these plans, so keep checking back for updates.

Sally's Apizza first opened in 1938, offering pizza cooked in a coal-fire oven to customers including countless celebrities and national figures over the years. Sally's neighbor in New Haven--Pepe's--has expanded to a handful of locations in the Northeast, with one being in Chestnut Hill, and both Sally's and Pepe's are considered by many to be among the best pizza places in all of New England.

The address for Sally's Apizza is 237 Wooster Street, New Haven, CT, 06511. Its website can be found at http://sallysapizza.com/

[Earlier Article]
News Elsewhere: Sally's Apizza in New Haven May Be Sold

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pizzas in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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News Elsewhere: Amid Lawsuits, Sally's Apizza in New Haven Remains Up for Sale, Faces Uncertain Future

In the spring of 2014, we reported that one of the highest-rated pizzerias in New England could be up for sale. Now we have learned that the possible sale of the eatery--and the controversy surrounding it--is causing some to wonder about the future of the place.

The New York Times states that a dispute about the possible sale of Sally's Apizza in New Haven has led to lawsuits, with an earlier article from the New Haven Register mentioning that the suits stem from the owners of the Wooster Street pizzeria saying no to a high offer of $3.1 million offer from a group named Al Dente, instead picking another, unnamed, bidder. Carmine and Vincenzo Capasso of Al Dente filed a lawsuit against Sally's in late 2014, with a Connecticut Superior Court judge siding with the pizza place; the Capasso brothers appealed the judge's decision but the judge subsequently lifted a hold on the selling of Sally's which allows the owners to sell it to someone else (the Register says that a second lawsuit has been filed against Al Dente by the people behind Sally's as well). No deal has been reached as of yet on the pizzeria, though the owners have been talking to people who have been interested in purchasing the place.

Both articles says that Pepe's--a renowned pizza spot that is on the same street and is run by cousins of the people who own Sally's--had also placed a bid for Sally's in 2014, but their bid was not among the highest ones and it appears that Pepe's is apparently no longer interested, saying it is a "dead issue" for them, according to the Register.

Sally's Apizza first opened its doors in 1938, serving pizza cooked in a coal-fire oven like its neighbor Pepe's; while Pepe's is known in part for its clam pizza, Sally's is a place that many go to for its tomato pie. Both Pepe's and Sally's are considered among the best pizzerias in all of New England--if not the entire country--and both have been visited by celebrities of all kinds over the years.

The address for Sally's Apizza is 237 Wooster Street, New Haven, CT, 06511. Its website can be found at http://sallysapizza.com/

[Earlier Article]
News Elsewhere: Sally's Apizza in New Haven May Be Sold

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pizzas in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Pepe's Pizza Is Opening in Chestnut Hill

Last July we reported that an iconic New Haven pizzeria was planning to open a location in Brookline, though the deal fell through two months later. Now we have learned that its plans are back on again, albeit in a different location.

According to a source, Pepe's Pizza is in the process of signing a lease for a location of its restaurant somewhere in the metro Boston area, with the information coming from an article in The Connecticut Table blog within Connecticut Magazine. According to the post, a lease for the undisclosed space "was about to be signed" as of late last month, with Ken Berry (president and CEO of Frank Pepe's Development Co.) saying that it is not the location of The Fireplace in Brookline, which is where Pepe's had been hoping to open before the plans fell apart (The Fireplace remains open in its Beacon Street space). It appears that the new location of Pepe's could be opening later this year.

Berry also mentions in the article that two or three new locations of Pepe's could come to Connecticut at some point, and he says that if the upcoming Boston-area shop "is well-received," others could be opening in metro Boston as well.

[February 6 update: Eater Boston says that the new location of Pepe's will be in Chestnut Hill, with a tipster saying it will move into the space within The Mall at Chestnut Hill where Papa Razzi had been. (This location was also mentioned by one of our sources as well.)]

[March 14 update: A new update from Eater Boston confirms that Pepe's will have a coal-fired brick oven. (The post also says that the 3,200-square-foot restaurant will have seating for 85 and the opening might not happen until the fall.)]

[December 2 update: The Boston Globe states that Pepe's will open in Chestnut Hill on December 16, and that it will be a bit different from the other Pepe's locations, offering additional salads and toppings and including an indoor patio.]

[December 10 update: According to an email, the new Pepe's in Chestnut Hill will be having an invite-only soft opening on Monday, December 14 and Tuesday, December 15, with the grand opening to the public apparently still on for Wednesday, December 16.]

Pepe's started out in New Haven in 1925 and now has additional locations in Danbury, Fairfield, Manchester, Mohegan Sun, and West Hartford in Connecticut, along with one in Yonkers, NY. It has received numerous accolades/awards, with The Daily Meal listing it as the #1 pizza in America last year. (Pepe's website can be found at http://www.pepespizzeria.com/)

[Earlier Article]
Pepe's Pizza No Longer Coming to The Fireplace Space in Brookline; Deal Called Off

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Pepe's Pizza No Longer Coming to The Fireplace Space in Brookline; Deal Called Off

In July, we reported that a famous New Haven pizzeria was planning to take over the space of another restaurant in Brookline. Now we have learned that this will not be happening after all.

According to a source, plans for Pepe's Pizza to open in The Fireplace space in Washington Square have fallen through, with Eater Boston confirming this; in the article (via a newsletter), Jim Solomon of The Fireplace says that "Ever since deciding to close the restaurant I have been overwhelmed with requests (some very emotional!) to remain open....I love serving the community in which I live and have decided to keep running my restaurant."

It is not known whether Pepe's will continue to look for a space in the Boston area; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

[September 18 update: The Boston Globe mentions that while Pepe's will indeed not be coming to The Fireplace space, Jim Solomon says that the pizzeria is planning on opening "several" locations in the Boston area and that they are in the process of looking for spaces.]

The address for The Fireplace is 1634 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

[Earlier Article]
Pepe's Pizza to Open in The Fireplace Space in Brookline's Washington Square

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News Elsewhere: Sally's Apizza in New Haven May Be Sold

A landmark pizza spot in Connecticut that has been in business for more than 75 years may be up for sale.

According to an article in the Hartford Courant, negotiations are currently taking place that may result in the sale of Sally's Apizza in New Haven, a well-known pizzeria that is just up Wooster Street from another iconic pizza parlor (Pepe's). An earlier article from the New Haven Register mentions that the pizza spot is indeed up for sale, with owner Bob Consiglio stating that they have had "multiple" offers on the place, though he also says that "Sally's is not going anywhere..." It looks like more details should be coming out on the possible sale over the next few weeks, according to both articles.

Sally's Apizza first opened in 1938, serving pizza cooked in a coal-fire oven to such well-known people as Bill Clinton, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, and Kathleen Turner, according to the Courant. Both Sally's and Pepe's are considered by many to be among the best pizza places in all of New England, with countless arguments taking place as to which of the two spots is better.

The address for this iconic pizza parlor in New Haven is: Sally's Apizza, 237 Wooster Street, New Haven, CT, 06511. Its website can be found at http://sallysapizza.com/

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Pepe's Pizza Is Coming to Boston

A New Haven pizzeria that is often cited as having the best pizza in New England is on its way to Boston.

Eater Boston is reporting (via a Craigslist job post) that Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana--which is also known as Pepe's Pizza--is going to be opening more than one outlet in Boston. The Craiglist post mentions that the restaurant "is hiring Managers for our locations in Boston," though it is not known exactly how many branches of the pizza place will be opening in the area, or where they will be located. (Keep checking back for updates.)

[March 21 update: A new post from Eater Boston confirms that Pepe's is indeed looking to open in the Boston area, with a publicist for the restaurant saying that it is "actively pursuing various real estate opportunities in and around Boston," though "nothing has been signed, sealed or delivered" as of yet.]

Pepe's first started out in New Haven in 1925 and now has two locations on Wooster Street as well as outlets in Danbury, Fairfield, Manchester, Mohegan Sun, and West Hartford in Connecticut, as well as one in Yonkers, NY. The restaurants feature thin-crust pizza, including their signature white clam pie (they also offer salads). The website for Pepe's can be found at http://www.pepespizzeria.com/

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