Wantagh pizza catering business adds a storefront

The Grecos are no strangers to the pizza business.

Since 2016, the Wantagh family has operated Pies-on Wheels — a food catering business run out of a 1946 Chevy 250. The truck was revamped with a built-in brick oven. With it, the Grecos cater a variety of events, ranging from corporate functions to bat mitzvahs and weddings. Their popularity led them to be featured on News12 in 2018.

This month, owners Liz and Anthony Greco and their son Vincent opened their first-ever brick-and-mortar location, in Massapequa, called Pies-on Broadway. At the grand opening, on Jan. 7, community members stopped by to try the family’s signature thin-crust pies. One of their most popular ones, Liz said, is topped with mashed potato and bacon, with dollops of potato sprinkled with bacon bits. Another fan favorite is the four cheese white truffle with mushroom pie, which the Grecos perfected over the summer.

They prefer to focus on pies over slices, because of their signature thin-crust recipe, which uses top-of-the-line Italian flour, according to Liz. Their pizza, they say, tastes best when eaten right out of the oven.

They plan on expanding their menu in the future to include hot and cold items such as salads, pasta, rolls and calzones.

“She’s the chef. [Vincent’s] the cook. And I’m the boss,” said Anthony. “That’s how it works.” He also happens to be president of the Wantagh Board of Education.

The new space is lined with shiny white tiles and red accents, and can comfortably seat a dozen customers. The location has actually been a pizzeria for over 40 years, with several businesses coming and going. A framed black and white picture of the location from 1953 sits on the counter.

Co-owner Vincent Greco is one of Liz and Anthony’s three sons. “Sometimes being around your family gets to be a bit too much,” Vincent acknowledged. But he added that he’d choose working with his family over strangers any day.

The pizzeria without wheels was never in the plan for the Greco family, according to the couple. But when customers of the pizza truck frequently asked if they had a physical shop, they began to consider the idea.

The storefront eatery was Anthony’s idea. After a friend reached out to him about the available space in Massapequa six months ago, Anthony saw it as an opportunity to expand the family business.

Although Anthony is officially retired, he said that running two pizza businesses involves long hours. “It’s a full day and a full commitment,” he said. “But we’re also very lucky to have our own place and make a go out of it here.”

The family has been using the Massapequa shop since September to prep ingredients for the food truck, but only recently decided to open it to customers to dine in and take pies to go. Since the truck doesn’t get much business in the winter, the family saw this season as a perfect time to expand.

“A pizzeria was not in our vision,” Liz said. But she added that she believed it would “enhance the truck and make it better.”

When Liz was growing up, her father used to make pizzas for her family on most Fridays. She has continued the tradition with her own family: Vincent recalled his mother making homemade pies for the family when he was a kid.

And pizza remains a family affair. “I’m proud of everyone,” said Liz. “Everybody chips in — even the nieces and nephews.”