Thursday, October 1, 2026
For five decades, generations of Five Towns families have gathered around the tables at the Friendlier 76 Italian restaurant in Woodmere to celebrate birthdays, Little League victories, graduations and simple weeknight dinners.
Now, as the restaurant marks its 50th anniversary, owner Vito Vinceslao is looking ahead to the next chapter — one that includes passing the business to a third generation of family members and expanding beyond the Five Towns with a second location opening in Greenvale after Labor Day.
“My father, Tony Vinceslao, opened the doors in 1976,” Vito Vinceslao said. “It was half the store. The rest is history.”
Founded on June 23, 1976, Friendlier has become much more than a neighborhood pizzeria, having grown into a community institution, known for its familiar faces, generous portions and loyal customers, who have become extended family, according to Vinceslao.
“The community’s been great,” he said. “(I’m) very grateful, very blessed. It gave my family a life, and hopefully my sons, too.”
That family tradition is already continuing. His three sons — Antonio, Marco and Alessio — now work alongside him, preparing to eventually take over the business.
“We need another store now,” Vinceslao said with a laugh. “The boys are doing a great job.”
The family’s next venture will open on Long Island’s North Shore this fall.
“We’re hoping our second location opens right after Labor Day,” Vinceslao said. “We’re going to be a little busy in the next few months.”
The expansion comes during a yearlong celebration of Friendlier’s milestone anniversary. Throughout the year, customers have enjoyed special pricing, including $19.76 pizza specials and bottles of wine priced to honor the restaurant’s founding year. In June, the business hosted a four-day celebration featuring live music and a 19.76 percent discount.
“We’ve been celebrating all year,” Vinceslao said. “It’s really about celebrating with the customers we have and the staff that’s been working here for 30 years. Hopefully, they’re staying another 50.”
He credited the restaurant’s longevity not only to his family’s dedication but also to employees who have spent decades serving customers.
“The servers are great, the wait staff is great and the employees make it also,” he said, “not just myself, my father and my uncle.”
His uncle, Mario Divella, worked alongside the family for 40 years before recently retiring.
One of the restaurant’s most memorable stories is how it got its unusual name.
For decades, Vinceslao wondered why his father chose the name “Friendlier” for an Italian restaurant, and he finally learned the truth about five years ago.
“My father wanted to call it Tony’s,” he said. “But the place had a brand-new sign, and he said, ‘I’m not wasting money on a new sign. Leave it.’”
Later, longtime customers explained that the previous owner had earned a reputation for being unfriendly, prompting a subsequent owner to rename the restaurant “Friendlier.”
“It finally made sense,” Vinceslao said. “For 40 years, we kept asking, ‘Why Friendlier?’”
Today, the name perfectly reflects the atmosphere inside the restaurant.
“I love being here,” Vinceslao added. “I love what I do. You have to have good food first, a clean place, and people who care.”
His son, Antonio Vinceslao, said growing up in the restaurant gave him an appreciation for the sacrifices his father made.
“My dad had always been working his whole life,” Antonio Vinceslao said. “What I wanted was for him to be able to take off and spend time with my mom.”
As the next generation prepares to lead the business, he added that he hopes to preserve everything customers have come to expect.
“It’s very important to keep this tradition going,” he said. “There’s second, third and even fourth-generation customers who tell us how much this place means to them. I want to make sure this place is left the same way my dad loved it.”
Running a family business isn’t easy, he acknowledged.
“If you’re considering taking over your family business, get ready to work,” Antonio Vinceslao said. “Dedicate yourself every single day, keep trying to improve it and love what you do. We love it. I hope for another 50, 100 years of this place.”
Friendlier’s impact extends well beyond its dining room.
David Friedman, president of the Hewlett-Woodmere Business Association, has worked with Vito Vinceslao on community events for more than a decade and said the restaurant has become synonymous with giving back.
“Friendlier is an institution in the Five Towns,” Friedman said. “Vito and his sons have been so accommodating to customers and to our community.”
From sponsoring school athletic banners and Arts Below Sunrise to donating food for athletic team dinners, pizza parties and community fundraisers, Vinceslao rarely turns down a request for help, Friedman said.
“He never says no,” Friedman said. “His family and the staff know their customers by name and remember their favorite foods and drinks. Everyone is family.”
As Friendlier celebrates 50 years in Woodmere while preparing to open its second location, Vinceslao remains focused on the same values his father embraced when he first put on an apron nearly five decades ago.
“Our goals are to expand a little more,” Vinceslao said. “But no matter where we go, it’s about the people. That’s what has made Friendlier what it is.”
