How many pizzerias in your town? Do we need that many in NJ?

[rapidnj]

As a small business owner I try to support any new business/mom & pop. When you open the 8th pizzeria in a small town and close soon after- I really have no sympathy. Seems in NJ, someone comes to a town and says `hey you know what,the other 7 long term pizza places in town don`t have anything on me,I need to open up another pizza joint` (I think its the same folks who open up an `Italian Deli` that simply think stacking imported pastas up on wire racks shelves,slap a Boars head sign in the window and miraculously an Italian delis is born). Where are the demographic studies people? How about opening something NOT in town already. BBQ/Fried Chix/Mexican/ Greek/etc etc. I`m all for pizza,but c`mon, so my question to you is, my small town has 7 pizza joints (not including Dominos and the bar pies you can get at the pubs). How many does your town have and do you think its`s too many already?? (Oh yes we have 4 chinese take outs & 1 chinese buffet thats teh next topic ,along the same line!) Plus does NJ have more per capita pizza places or what?

[mmgth]

14 Pizza joints in Washington Twp., Gloucester Co. (at least). No book stores.

[coldsolderjoint]

Especially in these hard times, pizza places are among the few who can squeak by on the razor thin profit margins.

Flour, cheese, spices, etc they all aren't cheap anymore. You have to sell a lot of slices to make any money, especially in this state of high rents, high expenses, high everything.

There's been plenty of places who serve great food and different concepts, and most of them are gone now.

The reason that even the "bad" places survive is that they sell enough food to make it. It's what the market demands.

[MGZ]

While I don't dispute the validity of what you explain, I find the underlying meaning sad - mediocrity rewarded by the mediocre.

[briansnat]

My town only has 1 pizza place and it's mediocre. A nearby town has about 6 and all mediocre. I think if a new place that made great pizza opened up it would make a killing.

[loveeatin]

Only One Good One................
we have several in our town
still looking in the area we live in - Somerset, NJ

[hate2diet]

My town in only 1 square mile and we have 6 "by the slice" places and about 5 other restaurant / bars selling pizza ... 3 of them constantly changing hands.

[cantkick]

Here in Middletown along 35 there are about a dozen in the 3 mile stretch between Holmdel and Red Bank, plus several more within a mile or so of 35. Many have existed for years and years (and one got Munchmobile'd last year). But one spot in particular is trouble. This location was a Li'l Caeser many moons ago. When that one left, a new pizza/italian place moved in. Every couple years or so a new one comes in. Some have been decent, some I tried once and never returned. I can remember at least a half dozen in the last 20 years. None have had anything about them to make them stand out. According to one owner, the problem was that they couldn't make any money on sandwiches, since a Jersey Mike's was next door (literally) and a Quizno's was 100 yards away.

[mschow]

So true. In my small town in S Jersey, I think we have 7 pizza parlors. Only one serves a decent slice IMHO). We also have 11 hair salons. Withink 15 minutes of my house, I can have decent Italian food at well over 20 restaurants. How about something different for a change? OY.

[equal_Mark]

In the Monmouth County Tr-cities area (Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park) we have literally dozens of little authentic Mexican places, and I'm not complaining! :-)

[Tay]

"we have literally dozens of little authentic Mexican places, and I'm not complaining!"

I'd have to agree. Who am I to structure someone else's interpretation of their American dream?
The good places will (hopefully) survive. The not so good will fade away.
In the meantime, stores will not be empty and become eyesores or targets for Vandals,
and property owners will derive some benefit from the rental income.
Sounds to me like a healthy dose of capitalism in progress.

[rickster71]

It seems to depend on the perspective.
From that of the consumer, it's probably just going to be another mediocre pizza place.
If we consider the pizza shop owner's view, It's very cheap ingredients and a cash business.

[Heatherb]

Driving down 33 in Hamilton, starting at where it crosses with Nottingham, you have Vincent's (newly reopened), JoJo's, Pizza Steak Wings And Things (I think that's still open), Da Vinci's, Brothers, Dominick's, Vito's, Maninno's 3 (Still there?), that place where Shank's used to be... OMG, how many more are there? And that's just on 33!

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Da Vinci Restaurant
411 Washington St Ste A, Hoboken, NJ 07030

[MGZ]

There appears to be some sort of zoning requirement on Route 9 that mandates all strip malls must have a cleaners and a tax preparation business in addition to a pizza place.

[MGZ]

I too find it to be a laughable phenomenon in the Garden State. A year ago or so, my wife and I counted thirteen places in town that made pizza. A couple of them were bars that make some pretty foul pies and a couple were seasonal, but that’s still a lot of pizza options in a town that’s barely one square mile. I think there are twelve as of today, including a Domino’s that I am amazed anyone frequents.

The other thing that is ridiculous here at the Shore is the number of Irish bars. What's worse is that they all seem to think serving sushi is a good idea. Yuck.

Hey, wait, maybe there’s something about the ethnic composition of our community to this whole thing. No wonder there are more taquerias opening lately.

[missybean]

Wow! I could only come up with 10 - and that is with cheating as I had to look at the directory on the Chamber of Commerce website.

Every time a store front is empty I hope it will be something good and it always turns out to be a pizzeria, a nail or tanning salon. I am not holding my breath waiting for the former Mother Mary's space to reopen.

Missy

[BeeZee]

so true...I'm in Robbinsville, so setting aside Delorenzo's because it is a different style than the "average" pizza place...if you travel down Rt.33 into Hamilton, there are 2 places within walking distance of Delo's (both good in different ways), just a few blocks further down I think there are 4 more pizza places plus Pizza Hut.
My husband and I always make the same comment you made, when we see a new store being fitted out, someone must think they have the secret formula that will overcome all the competition (applies also to an italian restaurant in a terrible location which has had 4 different owners in 12 years).

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Pizza Hut Restaurants
2002 State Route 27, Edison, NJ 08817

[FoodDoc]

It's a free country. They wouldn't be there if they weren't making a living. All of that real estate would be empty without them. One hand washes the other. They are good members of the "Money Chain".

[rapidnj]

I don`t know if all real estate would be empty w/o pizza joints using commodity cheeses & sauces.But,as to the money chain paradigm,I would assume with a mostly (?) cash business,how much actual income goes into the stream that`s being reported (if that`s your argument).When you use suppliers from NY & Philly (most do) how much $ is going into the LOCAL food chain? Are they supporting local suppliers or commodoty suppliers ? Are they using local farmers or Restaurant Depot?.The free country argument/money chain thing is not a valid point for this post...It`s about PRIDE,creativity,unique,serving an unfilled need in a community etc etc. I know personally if I was a restaurateur (not), I would be embarassed to open up the umpteenth pizza joint in a town.I would be ashamed. I would do some studies and see what was lacking and where my skill set lies.I would take a pssion (bbq?) and turn it into a profesison if I had to.Just my opinion,on topic not off

[menton1]

If it's about pride, why are 99% of the slice pizza joints in NJ just plain LOUSY? Oxidized slices, mediocre ingredients, blech.

[aklein]

two words: profit margin

[menton1]

Yeah, so much for pride. Profit trumps all of that.

[rapidnj]

Thats what I`m saying-have some pride-don`t serve embarassing glop