Brooklyn V’s Pizza, a favorite of New York natives from all corners of the Valley since opening in Gilbert in 2013, opens a much-anticipated second location today in Queen Creek.
It shares a new building with Dairy Queen on the southeast corner of Rittenhouse and Ellsworth (map).
Owner-chef Vito LoPiccolo’s (pictured) background includes Italian restaurants in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island before moving to the Valley.
The original Brooklyn V’s on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Warner quickly outgrew its 1,700-square-foot space and eventually enclosed its patio for an additional 2,100 square feet.
The Queen Creek space, nearly 14Â miles away, is 2,600 square feet and includes a larger bar/counter. It will seat around 90, nearly as many as the Gilbert location.
The food & drink
The new site will feature the same menu of hand-tossed pizzas, calzones, stromboli, pastas, salads, sandwiches, and entrees.
Like the Gilbert location, the Queen Creek one will offer beer and wine. In fact, it has a couple more beer taps.
Although competitors like Oregano’s Pizza Bistro and Olive Garden are nearby, LoPiccolo feels being a mom-and-pop restaurant is an advantage.
‘‘We make our sauces to order,’’ LoPiccolo says. ‘‘The alfredo, the vodka sauce – when you order it, we make it. People like that. They come back.
‘‘It’s what’s gotten me to where I am today and hopefully the same thing happens here.’’
The early reaction
In fact, it’s already happening. Â At the Gilbert location, LoPiccolo has noticed a huge influx of new customers from Queen Creek trying to get a preview of what’s coming.
‘‘It’s almost been overwhelming,’’ LoPiccolo says. ‘‘I must say, it just blows me away.’’
LoPiccolo has plenty of help. Brooklyn V’s staff includes his ex-wife, his 19-year-old son, his 16-year-old daughter, and his brother.
And although he lives close to the new location, LoPiccolo says he still expects to spend a lot of his time at the original location.
‘‘That’s still my baby,’’ he says.
Both Brooklyn V’s locations are open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
