This beloved Italian restaurant in Long Branch has new owners. Here's their plan

Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

It is the end of one era and the beginning of another in Long Branch, as the brother and sister behind their family's decades-old family restaurant turn it over to new owners.

Lou Chiafullo and Veronica Falivene ran Nunzio's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant on Westwood Avenue for years. Their parents, Nunzio and Thelma Chiafullo, opened its doors in 1952.

The restaurant, known for serving pizza and classic Italian dishes in an old-school setting, changed hands in early July. Its new owners are Pat Trama of Trama's Trattoria in Long Branch and Chris Manzo, who in 2021 opened several restaurants and cafes at Asbury Park's Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel and with his family operates The Manzo Collective hospitality group.

According to comments from Nunzio's on social media, "Louie will remain on as a 'consultant' as requested by the new owners, and he will continue acting as a consultant indefinitely. He will be there to make sure the pizza dough and pies are consistent to what he has served throughout the years.' "

When it came to cooking, "we don't change nothing. It's the same as it's been since 1952. We do everything ourselves in here," Chiafullo told The Asbury Park Press in 2021.

"We love the business. We were brought up in the business," he said. "And we have loyal customers."

They served many generations through the years, Falivene said.

Nunzio's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Long Branch has been run by the Chiafullo family since the 1950s.
Nunzio's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Long Branch has been run by the Chiafullo family since the 1950s.

In 2022: After more than 50 years, Tuzzio's in Long Branch is closing

More: Gavone's in Pier Village is new spot for pizza, pasta and sandwiches

More: Gordon Ramsay films in Long Branch, dines in Asbury Park

In 2021, the restaurant was one of several Jersey Shore spots visited by Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and creator of One Bite Pizza Reviews.

Lou Chiafullo is shown in 2021 making pizza at his family's Long Branch restaurant, Nunzio's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant.
Lou Chiafullo is shown in 2021 making pizza at his family's Long Branch restaurant, Nunzio's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant.

"It was quite a surprise when he popped in," Chiafullo told The Asbury Park Press. "We were so busy at the time, I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him much. But he was a really nice guy, and obviously he has great taste."

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Nunzio's in Long Branch, known for pizza, Italian food, has new owners