Grimaldi's Pizzeria
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn American pizzeria chain known for New York-style pizza baked in coal-fired brick ovens.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is an American pizzeria chain associated with New York-style, coal-fired pizza. Its best-known restaurant operates at 1 Front Street in Brooklyn, next to the Brooklyn Bridge and near the site of the company's original restaurant. The brand's identity rests on a thin, crisp crust, high-temperature coal-fired baking, traditional Italian-American presentation, and a menu centered on whole pies rather than the slice-focused format common to many New York pizzerias. The business was founded in Brooklyn in 1990 by Patsy Grimaldi, who learned coal-oven pizza-making while working at his uncle Patsy Lancieri's Patsy's Pizzeria in Italian Harlem. Grimaldi reportedly progressed from busboy to coal-oven apprentice and waiter before opening his own restaurant at 19 Old Fulton Street. The early restaurant sold whole pizzas rather than individual slices and developed a reputation for long queues and a highly focused menu. A dispute over the use of the Patsy's name led to a renaming in 1996, first to Patsy Grimaldi's and subsequently to Grimaldi's Pizzeria. In the late 1990s, Grimaldi retired and sold the Grimaldi's name and franchise business, excluding the Hoboken operations, to restaurateur Frank Ciolli. Joseph Ciolli later became chief executive, and the company moved its headquarters to Scottsdale, Arizona, as it expanded beyond the New York area. During the 2000s and 2010s, the chain entered Arizona, Texas, Florida, Colorado, California, South Carolina, Nevada, and other states. It opened its 50th United States location in 2018, according to contemporary reporting, although the number and composition of locations have changed over time. The Brooklyn flagship has been central to the brand's history. After a lease and rent dispute, the restaurant moved in late 2011 from 19 Old Fulton Street to the neighboring building at 1 Front Street. The original premises subsequently became the home of Juliana's Pizza, a restaurant opened by Patsy Grimaldi after his retirement. This produced a highly publicized rivalry between the two businesses, both of which drew on the coal-oven pizza tradition associated with the neighborhood. Grimaldi's restaurants typically display a central coal-fired brick oven behind glass. The company has described ovens reaching temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and consuming substantial quantities of coal. The menu includes traditional, pesto, and white pizzas; multiple pie sizes; calzones; appetizers; salads; wine and other drinks; and desserts such as cannoli, tiramisu, and New York-style cheesecake. Some locations sell slices, while the Brooklyn and Palazzo locations have traditionally focused on whole pies. The brand has also promoted systems intended to reproduce the mineral composition of New York water for dough production at restaurants outside New York. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily changed the operating model across the chain. In 2020, restaurants shifted toward carry-out and delivery, using services including DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, while adding social-distancing measures, outdoor seating where permitted, bundled alcohol offers, and family-oriented promotions. A Grimaldi's Pizzeria To-Go concept opened in Scottsdale through Kitchen United, and additional satellite or delivery-oriented kitchens followed. The company resumed dine-in service at some locations as restrictions eased and continued to explore franchising, including a domestic franchise agreement connected with a planned Huntsville, Alabama, restaurant. Grimaldi's has received considerable media and consumer attention. Zagat rated it New York's top pizzeria in 2007, and outlets including the Food Network, BBC, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post have discussed its pizza and reputation. The chain remains active in the United States, with restaurants and to-go operations concentrated in multiple states. Its public identity continues to be built around replicating the Brooklyn coal-oven experience while adapting the format for suburban restaurants, delivery, franchising, and new markets.
History
Patsy Grimaldi learned the coal-fired pizza trade at his uncle Patsy Lancieri's restaurant in Italian Harlem. After his father's death, Grimaldi worked at the restaurant from a young age and advanced through several roles, including busboy, coal-oven apprentice, and waiter. In 1990, at age 57, he opened a pizzeria in an abandoned hardware-store space at 19 Old Fulton Street in Brooklyn, beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The restaurant initially used the name Patsy's Pizzeria, sold whole pies rather than slices, and quickly became known for long lines and a highly concentrated menu. The name created a legal conflict with the established Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem. In 1996, I.O.B. Realty, associated with the Harlem business, sued over the use of Patsy's. The Brooklyn restaurant changed its branding, first using Patsy Grimaldi's and later Grimaldi's Pizzeria. The change separated the newer Brooklyn business from the Harlem restaurant and established the name used by the chain today. Grimaldi expanded during the early 1990s, including operations in Hoboken and Verona, New Jersey, with business partner Sean McHugh. In the late 1990s, Grimaldi retired and sold the Grimaldi's name and franchise interests, apart from the Hoboken locations, to Frank Ciolli. Joseph Ciolli became CEO in 2000. The company opened outside New York, including a restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, and later moved its headquarters to Scottsdale. Expansion reached Texas by 2008 and Arizona, Florida, and other states by 2010. The Brooklyn flagship faced repeated property and tax complications. In 2008, tax authorities briefly seized and closed the restaurant. A later dispute over rent, taxes, and lease renewal culminated in the landlord's decision not to renew the lease at 19 Old Fulton Street. The restaurant moved next door to 1 Front Street at the end of November 2011, in a former bank building opened in the nineteenth century. In 2012, Patsy Grimaldi opened Juliana's Pizza in the former Grimaldi's space, creating a conspicuous rivalry between the neighboring coal-oven restaurants. The chain continued expanding during the 2010s. It entered Southern California in 2013 with a large El Segundo restaurant and opened in Detroit in 2017. That year, the company also announced a partnership with Tablez Food Company for prospective United Arab Emirates locations. The business reached approximately 50 U.S. restaurants in 2018, although individual locations opened and closed as the chain developed. The company experienced further tax-related closures, including a Chelsea location seized in 2016 and a Colorado location affected by county action in 2018. A national domestic franchise program began in 2019 but was paused when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted restaurant operations. In 2020, the chain temporarily emphasized delivery and takeout across its network. It used DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, established separate pickup areas, introduced outdoor dining at the Brooklyn site where permitted, and offered bundles involving alcohol and family meals. The Grimaldi's Pizzeria To-Go format debuted in Scottsdale through Kitchen United in November 2020, followed by additional satellite-kitchen and delivery-oriented operations. In 2021, the company announced a domestic franchise arrangement with Power Brands Hospitality Group connected to a planned Huntsville, Alabama, restaurant. It also expanded its to-go and full-service presence in Texas, including Austin. By 2022, reported operations covered numerous states, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, New York, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. The company reported more than 40 restaurants overall and stated that its locations sought to reproduce the Brooklyn experience using common suppliers and standardized methods. Grimaldi's product identity has remained stable throughout its expansion. Restaurants emphasize visible coal-fired brick ovens, thin and crisp crusts, fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, and Italian-American décor. The menu has broadened beyond pizza to include calzones, salads, starters, wine, and desserts, while retaining whole coal-oven pies as the central offering. The brand has also used water-treatment systems designed to approximate New York water, reinforcing its claim to a transported New York pizza tradition.
- 2022
Multi-state U.S. network
[1]The company reports more than 40 restaurants and operations across a broad group of U.S. states.
- 2021
First reported domestic franchise deal
[1]The company announces a partnership with Power Brands Hospitality Group for expansion including Huntsville, Alabama.
- 2020
To-Go concept launches
[1]Grimaldi's introduces a delivery and pickup-oriented concept in Scottsdale with Kitchen United.
- 2019
National domestic franchise program begins
[1]The company launches a domestic franchise program before pausing it during the pandemic.
- 2017
Detroit opening and international franchise discussions
[1]Grimaldi's opens in Detroit and announces a partnership with Tablez Food Company for potential UAE locations.
- 2013
Southern California expansion
[1]The chain enters Southern California with a large restaurant in El Segundo.
- 2012
Juliana's opens in the former Grimaldi's space
[1]Patsy Grimaldi returns from retirement and opens Juliana's Pizza at the original Brooklyn premises.
- 2011
Brooklyn flagship relocates to 1 Front Street
[1]The flagship moves from 19 Old Fulton Street into the neighboring former bank building.
- 2007
Zagat ranks Grimaldi's New York's top pizzeria
[1]Zagat Survey names Grimaldi's the No. 1 pizzeria in New York.
- 2000
Joseph Ciolli becomes CEO
[1]Joseph Ciolli assumes the chief executive role as the company begins broader geographic expansion.
Products and positioning
An accessible premium pizzeria chain that recreates the Brooklyn coal-oven pizza experience through thin, crisp New York-style pies, Italian-American décor, and a menu built around whole pizzas.
Pizza · 1990
Coal-fired brick-oven pizza
The brand's signature offering is a thin New York-style pizza baked in a coal-fired brick oven. The crust is promoted for its crisp, lightly charred texture, while toppings include traditional ingredients as well as pesto, white garlic, fresh mozzarella, Italian sausage, roasted peppers, olives, ricotta, and artichoke hearts. Whole pies are central to the Brooklyn and Palazzo formats.
Italian-American food
Calzones
Calzones extend the restaurant's dough-and-oven proposition beyond open-faced pizza. They are offered in several sizes and are prepared within the same coal-oven-oriented menu system.
Starters and sides
Appetizers and salads
The menu includes antipasti, salads, and other starters that complement the pizza-centered meal. Reported examples include mozzarella, salami, roasted peppers, and olives.
Desserts
Desserts
Dessert offerings include Italian-American and New York restaurant standards such as cannoli, tiramisu, and New York-style cheesecake.
Restaurant format · 2020
Grimaldi's Pizzeria To-Go
The To-Go format is a smaller, delivery- and pickup-oriented operating model developed with Kitchen United. It supports satellite kitchens and urban delivery coverage without requiring the full footprint of a traditional dine-in restaurant.
Controversies
2018
Colorado closure linked to tax debt
A Colorado restaurant was reported closed after county action involving unpaid tax obligations and property seizure.
2016
Chelsea tax seizure
New York tax authorities seized the Chelsea location over back taxes. The restaurant later closed.
2010
Brooklyn lease and rent dispute
The Brooklyn location faced eviction proceedings involving rent and tax arrears before ultimately moving to the neighboring building in 2011.
2008
Temporary tax seizure of Brooklyn restaurant
Tax authorities briefly seized and closed the Brooklyn restaurant in connection with tax issues.
1996
Patsy's naming-rights dispute
I.O.B. Realty sued over the Brooklyn restaurant's use of the Patsy's name. The dispute resulted in a rebranding that established Grimaldi's Pizzeria as the operating name.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Pandemic carry-out and delivery pivot
United States
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Grimaldi's shifted its restaurants toward takeout and third-party delivery, created separated pickup areas, expanded outdoor dining where possible, and introduced bundled and family-oriented offers.
Outcome. The chain maintained service during dine-in restrictions and later restored dine-in operations at some locations.
- 2020Grimaldi's Pizzeria To-Go
Scottsdale, Arizona · United States
The company introduced a delivery-oriented To-Go concept in partnership with Kitchen United.
Outcome. The concept supported satellite-kitchen and delivery expansion.
Brand decisions
2021
Domestic franchise partnership with Power Brands Hospitality GroupM&ABackground
The company sought to restart domestic franchise development after the pandemic interruption.
Action taken
Grimaldi's announced a partnership connected to a planned Huntsville, Alabama, location.
Aftermath
The arrangement was described as the company's first domestic franchising deal.
2020
Temporary conversion to takeout and deliveryStrategyBackground
COVID-19 restrictions sharply reduced or prohibited conventional restaurant dining.
Action taken
The chain shifted operations toward carry-out and delivery, used third-party platforms, created pickup procedures, and added outdoor service where permitted.
Aftermath
Dine-in service returned at some locations, while delivery-oriented formats remained part of the operating model.
2019
Launch of a domestic franchise programStrategyBackground
After years of company-led geographic expansion, the business sought to accelerate growth through franchising.
Action taken
Grimaldi's began a national domestic franchise program.
Aftermath
The program was paused during the initial pandemic disruption and later resumed through selected partnerships.
2011
Relocation of the Brooklyn flagshipStrategyBackground
The landlord declined to renew the lease at 19 Old Fulton Street amid a dispute involving rent, taxes, and eviction proceedings.
Action taken
Grimaldi's renovated the neighboring former bank at 1 Front Street and transferred the flagship there.
Aftermath
The 1 Front Street restaurant became the chain's best-known Brooklyn location, while the former site later housed Juliana's Pizza.
1996
Rebrand from Patsy's to Grimaldi'sStrategyBackground
A naming-rights lawsuit created conflict with the established Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem.
Action taken
The Brooklyn restaurant removed Patsy's branding and adopted the Grimaldi's name.
Aftermath
The new name became the foundation of the later chain and distinguished it from the Harlem business.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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