The Tacconelli Story
In 1918, Giovanni Tacconelli traveled from his hometown of Chieti, Italy to Philadelphia. After a few years working as a laborer, he decided to do what he'd done in his native land - bake bread. The best and only way to do so, he said, was to bake it in a brick oven. So, along with a few of his friends, he built a 20' x 20' brick oven. The bread business went well until t
he outbreak of WWII, at which time his sons- all of whom had helped him run the family business- were drafted into military service. With no one around to help him, Giovanni had no choice but stop baking bread. In 1946, with everyone home from the war, Giovanni had a brainstorm; rather than simply make bread, he decided to use his massive brick oven to make Old World "tomato pies", a skill his mother had taught him many years before. In 1998, after decades of operating an award-winning restaurant, Anthony and Sylvia's son, Vince and his wife Barbara Tacconelli decided to retire. They entrusted their business, which by now had become a Philadelphia institution, to their younger son, Vince, Jr. Vince and his wife Doris would successfully operate the pizzeria for the next five years, from 1998 - 2002. In 2003, Vince decided it was time to take Tacconelli's to the next level. That's when He and Doris opened a second Tacconelli's Pizzeria closer to their home in Maple Shade, NJ. Of course, some changes were inevitable. At Tacconelli's - Maple Shade there is no need to reserve your dough; in fact, walk-ins are welcome. At Tacconelli's - Maple Shade, we serve three types of salads (with homemade dressings) and a variety of delectable desserts. And at Tacconelli's - Maple Shade, we're open for lunch Thursday and Friday. Some things, though, never change: at Tacconelli's - Maple Shade you'll find Vince Jr. making the same freshly-baked, award-winning pizzas he made at Tacconelli's - Philadelphia. The ingredients, and even most of the cooks, are the same. So it is our commitment to our customers, namely to not tamper with Giovanni Tacconelli's inimitable recipe for delicious, thin-crust "tomato pies"
Enjoy!!! Vince and Doris Tacconelli
