‘Neighborhood pizza place.’ Opening during pandemic, Pizza Social thriving in Anna Maria
Against some really long odds, Pizza Social opened June 17, just months into the global COVID-19 pandemic, and, surprise, has been thriving ever since.
The pizzeria at 308 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, found a niche and business has been so good that the owners, Andrew and Ammanda Simonetti, are looking at adding a second wood-fired oven to keep up with the demand.
Yelp reviews have been very strong, with lovers of both Chicago-style and New York-style pizza claiming the place as their own.
“We thought the pizza was delicious and will probably order it again throughout this trip. We had a veggie, Margherita, and a few build-your-owns that we enjoyed. We loved that it was real pizza made in a real pizza oven. The fact that they even offered olive oil as a sauce was our favorite,” one Yelp reviewer said.
Andrew calls the pies at Pizza Social a crispy Neapolitan hybrid that incorporates New York style and Chicago taste.
“My first job in high school was working in a restaurant. My grandfather, born and raised in Italy, taught me how to make pizza,” Andrew said.
Ninety percent of the pizzeria’s business at night is take out. Customers who choose to dine in have a choice of inside or outside tables, and the staff wears masks and follows other coronavirus protocols.
“Making dough and tomato base pizza sauce from scratch is part of our daily routine. We hand toss and stretch the dough for a nice thin crust and top your pizza with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese. Your pizza is fired up in our 700 degree imported Italian oven and cooked to perfection,” the restaurant’s web site says.
Ten-inch pizza prices start at $10. Fourteen-inch pies start at $14. The most popular topping is pepperoni.
“We try to be the neighborhood pizza place,” Andrew said of the pizzeria’s prices and its appeal to locals and visitors alike.
Pizza Social is open 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. daily except on Tuesday when it is closed.
Reviewers note that Pizza Social is very busy, but well organized and has a very friendly staff.
Andrew and Ammanda have a 2 1/2 year-old son, Jordan, and stagger their hours to cover work at the pizzeria and their home life.
“It was always my dream to open a pizzeria in Florida,” Andrew said. “We renovated the space, brought in the oven and my recipes. Everything is fresh, done the authentic way,” he said.
For more information, call 941-251-4070 or visit https://www.mypizzasocial.com/menus/.
