A Delaware icon, Grotto Pizza, recently came under new ownership, although the “new” owners are considered part of the family. The change came after founder Dominick Pulieri quietly sold the franchise to a group of longtime employees. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The new owners are Jeffrey Gosnear and Adam Webster who purchased a majority share of the company with Frank Albero and Glenn Bryum purchasing a minority share. Gosnear was named president of the company while Webster will remain Vice-President of Operations while Albero will remain Chief Financial Officer. Bryum will remain as Director of Human Resources. According to Gosnear, the purchase was a two-year process.
“Dominick is 83 now and he doesn’t have a family and no one who wants to take over the business,” Gosnear said. “It was always said that we could do what we can to buy the business from him. This has been his entire life. We promised him that his life would not change.”
Pulieri founded Grotto Pizza after refining his pizza-making skills in Harvey’s Lake, Pennsylvania. In 1960, at the age of 17, he, along with his brother-in-law Joe and sister, Mary Jean Paglianite, opened a pizza restaurant in Delaware, selling slices for 20 cents each and a whole pizza fro $1.60. The new restaurant was initially a tiny stand in Rehoboth Beach, where it was the only pizza restaurant in town.
To create a market for the pizza, Dominick and his sister spent long hours talking to people and handing out free samples. In July that year, Dominick noticed that he was getting many repat guests, mostly locals. As tourism grew in the beach area, more tourists also frequented the little pizza shop, putting it on the map.
Today, Grotto Pizza has 22 locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. The new owners say that the foundation of Grotto Pizza, the sauce and the dough, will not change. The last time the recipe changed was in the 1970s when lard was removed from the dough.
Fornear graduated from Drexel University and has been with Grotto Pizza for more than 15 years. He knows the importance of continuing the legacy started by Dominick in 1960.
“Our pizza has never changed other than the removal of lard,” Gosnear said. “We even have the same person who mixes our dough, he has to be a 30-year employee. So, we are really fortunate in that sense, we have longevity in our core staff.”
Gosnear is correct in his statement that the company thrives on longevity as the four new owners have a combined 100 years of experience with Grotto Pizza.
