Great news for fans of Buono’s Pizza – and I’m talking about the ‘‘old’’ Buono’s Pizza. The neighborhood New York-style pizzeria, in its fourth decade, reopens today with some familiar faces on the southwest corner of Dobson and Guadalupe (map) in southwest Mesa.
Those faces include Jimmy Pante, who owned Buono’s from 1992 to 2013, and his son, Vinny, who grew up working there.
To briefly recap its history: Buono’s was launched by New York native Vic Buono in 1989. Jimmy Pante, another Big Apple expatriate, joined the staff in 1990, became a part-owner in 1992, and bought the business outright from Buono in 1994.
(Buono eventually bought Islands Pizza in Gilbert in 2003, renamed it Nicantoni’s Pizza, and moved it to a new location off Gilbert Road in 2016.)
Meanwhile, after a 23-year run, Pante sold Buono’s in 2013. Unfortunately, the restaurant went into decline, was sold again, and finally closed in June of this year.
‘‘I drove by one day and saw it was closed,’’ Vinny Pante says. ‘‘My heart was broken. I grew up there.’’
Pante and his girlfriend, Kateri – who met while both were working at Sal’s Gilbert Pizza – brought the closure to the attention of Kateri’s father, Steve Cusumano, another former New Yorker who regularly made long drives to Buono’s from his home in Queen Creek.
Cusumano, an operations manager for UPS, decided to reopen the pizzeria. He has no restaurant experience, but he has plenty of expertise available. He partnered with Vinny Pante and gave him control of the kitchen. He’s also getting a hand from his wife, Anna, who’s a manager at Brooklyn V’s Pizza, and Jimmy Pante, who was back behind the counter for opening day.
In a truly family affair, the staff also includes Cusumano’s four children – Kateri and Steven, who both worked at Sal’s, and Joy and Cole, who both worked at Brooklyn’s.
The physical changes are dramatic. Buono’s interior was totally gutted. The carpet was replaced by new tile. The booths replaced by four-top tables.
While the decor may look different, the menu will be familiar to any fan from Buono’s heyday with only a few new dishes.
Hand-tossed pizzas start at $12.50 for a 14-inch and $14.50 for an 18-inch. Sicilian thick crust pies also are available.
Pastas come in six varieties with a choice of six sauces for $9-$14. Entrees, such as eggplant parmagiana or bechamel lasagna, are $12-$15, which includes a salad and bread.
Hot and cold subs are $6.50-$9.
Beer and wine still are served.
The biggest challenge for the restaurant is letting Buono’s legions of fans know the restaurant has turned back the clock to its better days.
‘‘People are skeptical,’’ Jimmy Pante says. ‘‘They say, ‘We’ll try it and let you know.’ I understand that. But I was 19 when I started here. This is my youth. This is my home.’’
Buono’s Pizza is 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.
Delivery is available via DoorDash, Grubhub, and Slice.
