Legendary Coney Island Pizzeria Totonno’s Isn’t Closing After All

Totonno’s Pizzeria closure is only temporary, owners confirm

Legendary Coney Island pizzeria Totonno’s will not be closing after all. The restaurant’s owners confirmed in a Facebook post this week that the closure is a “temporary” measure to protect staff and customers, despite rumors that the business had permanently shuttered due to the pandemic. “We remain committed to our customers and the Coney Island community and look forward to seeing you all soon,” the business shared in a statement circulated by local business group the Alliance for Coney Island.

It’s a sign of relief for longtime fans of the pizzeria, which has been serving thin-crust slices from its coal oven slices for close to a century. The restaurant’s ingredients, imported from founder Anthony “Totonno” Pero’s home country of Italy, have helped earn it a place as one of the city’s best pizzerias and most iconic restaurants. “This place is simply the best pizzeria in the world, and well worth the sojourn on a whole host of trains to Coney Island,” Eater critic Robert Sietsema wrote following a visit to the pizzeria in 2013.

Totonno’s closed its doors following the indoor dining shutdown in March 2020, but speculation that the closure was permanent began earlier this month, after customers noticed Google had listed the restaurant as “permanently closed.” The pizzeria will remain closed for the time being, but its owners say they are “exploring other options during this time to share our world-renowned pizza with our extended community.”

In other news

— Craft beer destination Top Hops is set to close its flagship beer store on the Lower East Side on April 18. Owners Ted Kenny and Christina Cahill tell Eater “the business remains very alive and well” but that they are in the process of finding a new home in the neighborhood.

— New footage from the New York Police Department shows a customer attacking and using racial slurs against a 7-Eleven store clerk in Manhattan, the latest in a series of suspected hate crimes against Asian-American New Yorkers.

— Decades-old Central Park restaurant Tavern on the Green will reopen to the public later this month, marking its first day of service in over a year. Starting on April 29, the restaurant will offer outdoor and indoor dining, along with takeout cocktails.

— Mayoral candidate Dianne Morales is popping up at Hunky Dory in Crown Heights on Friday, April 9. The former public school teacher will discuss the city’s education system over coffee and snacks.

— Umber Ahmad, owner of Mah-Ze-Dahr in the West Village, is doubling down on her presence in Washington D.C. The beloved pastry chef is now making desserts for Gatsby, a period restaurant set to open next door to her Washington bakery on Thursday.

— Homiah, a Southeast Asian spice kit and pantry box company, launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month to help get its business off the ground.

— New York Times critic Pete Wells is out with another starless review this week, where he finds lots to love about the newly opened Followsoshi in Flushing.

— The famously exclusive Carbone is now selling four of is pasta sauces at Stop & Shop grocery stores in the tristate area and for nationwide delivery online.

— Co-sign: