What popular Wilmington pizzeria is opening a second location near Middletown?
A popular Wilmington restaurant owned by the family that runs Café Riviera at the Concord Mall is planning a second location in the Town of Whitehall near Middletown.
A second branch of La Pizzeria Metro is scheduled to open this fall, according to Brian DiSabatino, co-founder of the Town of Whitehall, a growing collection of seven villages and hamlets located on the banks of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal near the Roth Bridge.
The first La Pizzeria location run by Dan Tumolo is at 3101 Miller Road Station off Miller Road next to Wilmington Brew Works. It has been operating since 2019 and is an offspring of Café Riviera, the family pizzeria and restaurant inside the Concord Mall that his parents, Michael J. and Mindy Tumolo, have owned since 1981.
In 2020, the Tumolos onsidered closing their Concord Mall restaurant, but they changed their minds after working out a lease agreement with the mall's owners.
La Pizzeria Metro has grown in popularity since its inception nearly five years ago. It serves wood-fired "neo-Neapolitan" pizza and most of the round, 12-inch pizzas are named for Wilmington neighborhoods. The pizzeria also offers salads, sandwiches and desserts and has a Sunday brunch menu from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that includes a breakfast pizza topped with scrambled eggs and cheese.
“We could not be more excited to kick off our long-anticipated town center with the No. 1 thing residents at Whitehall neighboring communities have been asking me for … great food and beverage for the family," DiSabatino said.
“Pizza has everything to do with our vision. It represents the essence of what we want to accomplish," he said. "We want to look back on our work at Whitehall and know that we gave families the ability to reconnect with themselves, with each other, and with the community. It’s hard to argue that pizza doesn’t do just that."
The Town of Whitehall is a “New Urban,” walkable community that first broke ground in 2014. It now has the 300-student Lorewood Grove Elementary School, a medical facility anchored by ChristianaCare, the Whitehall Beer Garden, and events like Vet Fest.
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La Pizzeria Metro will be located next to the ChristianaCare site. It will have seating inside and out and will look and have a menu similar to their Wilmington restaurant, DiSabatino said. It also will be serving takeout gelato and specialty coffees.
DiSabatino said he has long been "a major fan of Café Riviera." He said he felt a connection with the Tumolo family and they've been talking about the restaurant for about a year.
DiSabatino said the Tumolo family and their businesses are "exactly the kind of partner we wanted at Whitehall. They will be a centerpiece of this community."
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The Tumolo family said they are glad "to bring our passion for pizza to the next great place to live, work, and dine in Delaware. From Day One, it was easy to see how our family values aligned with Brian’s vision for this community, and we look forward to working together and feeding the families and friends of Whitehall for many years to come.”
DiSabatino said First State Ballet also is opening a school in Whitehall and will have performances at Lorewood Grove Elementary School. He also is talking with owners of coffee shops, higher-quality family restaurants, hair/nail salons, and home furnishing providers to open sites in the town's center.
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Concord Mall owners of Cafe Riviera planning pizzeria near Middletown
