A famous New England pizzeria is making a move into South Florida.
Earlier this month, Naples Florida Weekly reported that Trinity Commercial Group (TCG) has confirmed it was working with Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana to bring the Connecticut-based pizzeria to multiple cities in Southeast Florida.
Representatives for TCG did not respond to New Times' request for comment, but a spokesperson for Frank Pepe Pizzeria confirmed that the company will be opening a restaurant in Plantation, followed by a second possible Palm Beach County site in Delray Beach. The Frank Pepe website's jobs page lists Plantation as a location.
In 1925, founder Frank Pepe opened his eponymous pizza shop in New Haven. Today, the original location, known locally as "The Spot" continues to be among the region's top-ranked pizzerias, which are known for creating the area's signature coal-fired, charred-crust "apizzas," chief among them Pepe's famed white clam pie, which marries five simple ingredients: freshly shucked littleneck clams, grated Pecorino-Romano cheese, garlic, olive oil, and oregano.
Today, family-owned Pepe operates 12 locations across the Northeast, including outlets in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. The company is also planning a new location in Alexandria, Virginia, as it expands its footprint into the Washington, D.C. area.
When it opens its first Florida restaurant, Pepe will join other iconic Connecticut pizzerias that recently announced southward expansion, including Stamford-born Colony Grill, which will open a St. Petersburg restaurant later this month and a second in Tampa next year.