One of New Jersey’s legendary pizzerias was recently shuttered by the state. But the door isn’t closed on a possible return.
DeLorenzo’s Pizza in Hamilton closed March 11 after the building at 147 Sloan Ave. was seized by New Jersey’s division of taxation for non-payment of state taxes. The pizzeria, which originally opened in Trenton in 1938, has spent the last 12 years at the Hamilton location.
Owner Rick DeLorenzo Jr. said the state gave him plenty of warnings a seizure was coming, and he was aware of the problem for some time. But DeLorenzo said he was “stuck between a rock and a hard place” and fell behind on payments due to a decline in business.
“I was on a payment plan but I wasn’t able to make the payments,” DeLorenzo told NJ Advance Media this week. “I just couldn’t afford it.”
The pizzeria owner said business has slowed in the past few years, namely because of the COVID-19 pandemic plus the closure of the nearby AMC 24 Hamilton movie theater.
Mercer County Superior Court records showed an unpaid judgment of $11,317.41, according to a Nov. 7, 2024 filing obtained by NJ Advance Media last week.
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DeLorenzo received a final warning from the state a few weeks ago, but said he was still surprised when the seizure actually happened because he wasn’t given an exact date he would be shut down.
“I’m trying to pay what I owe and get back to business,” DeLorenzo said.
DeLorenzo Jr. set up a GoFundMe with a goal of $20,000 in an attempt to “keep his family business afloat.” The page has raised more than $11,000 in five days. DeLorenzo said he is overwhelmed by the support.
“I know these are tough times so you’ve got to appreciate it even more,” DeLorenzo said. “These people aren’t millionaires that are giving me the money, they’re regular blue-collar workers with families.”
DeLorenzo’s reopening initially seemed unlikely following reports a cannabis dispensary had been approved to take over the space. However, DeLorenzo says the door is still open for a return to the building for DeLorenzo’s.
While he was cagey on the details, DeLorenzo said it would be possible for both businesses to use the space.
Vision Cannabis, the company set to take over the space, only mentioned using a portion of the 4,000-square-foot building in its plans. The proposal stated the other part of space would have a “demising wall for future growth within the building.”
If the pizzeria doesn’t return to the building, DeLorenzo said it’s difficult to imagine the business moving and reopening elsewhere.
“I have everything there, all my equipment. My life is in that building really. For me to move at my age it would be a big job,” DeLorenzo said. “The ovens are like 60 years old, they’re irreplaceable. That’s what makes my pizza what it is.”
While owned by members of the same family, the pizzeria has no association with other famed eatery De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies of Robbinsville and Yardley (previously of Trenton, as well).
DeLorenzo also quelled speculation of a family feud over the pizza business.
“We’re all part of the same family but we’re separately owned,” DeLorenzo said. “We all get along. It’s a friendly competition and there’s no fight going on between us.”
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Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.comon Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/.