FERRARO FOODS OF NEW JERSEY CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: 674 US 206 South Bordentown, New Jersey 08505 PHONE: 609-298-6771 WEBSITE: palermostomatopie.com HISTORY: Palermo’s Restaurant and Pizzeria is a family owned business located in the heart of New Jersey. Named after the capital of the island, Sicily, and where Owner and founder, Giulio Padalino was born and raised, Palermo’s continues a long-standing tradition of providing excellent cuisine, service, and a familyfriendly atmosphere. Giulio and his two sons, Vincent and Barry, continue to manage and operate their founding location in Bordentown NJ, which first opened its doors in 1991. They specialize in the Trenton style “Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie,” but also offer a wide variety of Italian favorites and specialties. “We are in the business of feeding our customers with whatever they’re looking for,” says Giulio, “we want everyone to be satisfied whether they order a pie, an entrée, or cheesesteak.” WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR ITEM ON THE MENU? The most popular item is either an Old Fashioned Tomato pie, or Brooklyn, which is a very thin, square Tomato pie with fresh mozzarella, and basil, followed closely by Small plates like buffalo wings and our antipasto salad, and entrées like our Penne alla Vodka, and Sausage Giambotta.
WHAT SETS YOUR RESTAURANT APART FROM THE COMPETITION? “Personal service, care, and attention to details,” says Owner, Giulio when asked about what sets Palermo’s apart from their competition. “My sons and I are always on location and we try to ensure that every order is correct. Palermo’s has a large gluten-free customer base and attention to details and clean, separate prep/cooking areas for customers with allergies is an absolute must. Every special instruction and dietary restriction has to be honored. My son, Vincent, is a celiac, so we are intimately familiar with how foods must be prepared and made when someone’s health is at stake.” WHY WORK WITH FERRARO FOODS? Ferraro offers us the same thing we offer our customers—personal service. We can call our salesman, Domenic, and he will go out of his way to help solve any issues or problems that may arise. Having someone on the other end of the phone that responds and works actively to solve problems is key to a good partnership. ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER RESTAURANT OWNERS? The best advice we can give is that the restaurant business is always evolving and changing, especially during COVID. Never forget that it’s 50% quality of food and cuisine and 50% customer service.
HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS ADAPTED DURING THE COVID CRISIS? The COVID-19 crisis wasn’t easy for anyone in food service, however we always have offered take-out and delivery. Adopting curbside pick up , offering contact-free ordering, and expanding both our delivery radius and delivery staff were natural steps we took in order to serve our customers better. We also adopted strict cleaning and sanitation protocols, temperature screening and checks for customers and employees, and restructured our indoor capabilities to coincide with safety measures.
The Last Bite // 49
