A Fresh Face

With the construction of a new corporate headquarters, Grotto Pizza remains committed to coastal Delaware

BY JEFF GOSNEAR

SINCE GROTTO PIZZA OPENED commercial and residential development has crept west of Route 1; and continues to grow tremendously. The earlier phenomenal growth allowed Grotto Pizza to expand our footprint, particularly near our hometown of Rehoboth Beach. For instance, 10 of our 17 Delaware locations are in eastern Sussex County.

While customers are passionate about our pizza with the signature swirl, Grotto Pizza can’t be complacent. The competition for customers is fierce, especially at the beach. Our brand is laced with nostalgia, but we must meet the future needs of our employees and our guests.

Consequently, we’ve embarked on a proactive improvement campaign. We are renovating Grotto Pizza Grand Slam in Lewes and building a new Dewey Beach restaurant. Now we’re putting our best face forward with the redevelopment of our headquarters on southbound Route 1 between Rehoboth and Dewey.

In many respects, our new corporate building represents where we’ve been and where we’re going.

THE BEST PATH FORWARD

When Dominick Pulieri opened the first Grotto Pizza with his sister, Mary Jean Paglianite, and her husband, Joe, plenty of real estate was available in easily accessible areas. To say the least, things have changed.

When the time came to establish a corporate headquarters, we were fortunate to find a one-story building in an ideal location. However the concrete block structure, covered in drab stucco, had become a dated eyesore—it did not reflect our progressive brand; which is bright, contemporary, and fun.

Initially, we intended to renovate the building in stages to avoid vacating the building during construction. However, it became clear that we needed an entirely new headquarters to accommodate a growing staff and leverage the latest technologies and building practices. So, before demolition, we moved our executive team to Nassau Commons.

THE BIG PICTURE

With available real estate so scarce, we’ve seen the value of mixed-use buildings for multiple purposes; such as a restaurant, retail, offices, storage space, or a hotel. With that in mind, we considered the possible opportuni ties with our new headquarters. Additionally, we are planning a mixed-use project on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk.

While planning the corporate site, we considered apartments, but concluded that it would be best to focus on businesses. Our new 15,000-square foot headquarters will have three stories with Grotto occupying the top floor. We will also have space for a conference and training area—a much-needed asset for a multi-location, multi-state operation.

The remaining square footage will be available to business tenants who can leverage the site on Coastal Highway for accessibility and visibility. It will be a unique opportunity for local businesses looking for a presence in eastern Sussex County.

LOYAL TO DELAWARE

Grotto Pizza now has 23 locations, including restaurants in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., where Pulieri grew up. (The three Pennsylvania restaurants are run separately from the Delaware and Maryland locations.) Many of our more than 1,700 employees have worked for the company for decades.

Despite our growth throughout Delaware—and outside the state— Grotto Pizza remains committed to our hometown of Rehoboth Beach, and our investment in a new corporate headquarters—with opportunities for other businesses—is proof of that.

We will continue to invest in the resort area, and with each project, we will look for ways to add value to tourism, our guests, and the resort economy.

Jeff Gosnear is executive vice president at Grotto Pizza.