Grimaldi's Pizzeria

American pizzeria chain
Grimaldi opened Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York, in 1990, in a location under the Brooklyn Bridge, at 19 Old Fulton Street in Brooklyn. It was named Patsy's Pizzeria, unassociated with the Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem where Grimaldi had previously worked as a teenager. A jukebox played Frank Sinatra. In 1996, there was a conflict over naming rights. I. O. B. Realty, then the owner of Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem, and Patsy Grimaldi's Patsy's Pizzeria in Brooklyn. I. O. B. sued Grimaldi so he would pay them for use of the name Patsy's. In October 1996, "to disassociate themselves from the new restaurants and to end the court fight, the Grimaldis changed the name of their pizza house to Patsy Grimaldi's. They replaced their signs and their awning. And they printed hand held menus, removing the place mats that served as menus and that recounted—part seriously, part tongue in cheek—Mr. Grimaldi's quest to open his own parlor."

[[File:Grimaldiwedjeh. JPG|thumb|Customers waiting outside the original Grimaldi's Pizzeria. As Grimaldi's does not take reservations, lines for tables are often long By 2010, the company had expanded into Arizona, Florida, and Texas. That year, the BBC named it as one of the best pizza restaurants in the United States. In 2010, after the 2009 announcement that a possible Grimaldi's in the FiDi (Financial District) had been dormant for a year and might be evicted, the store signed to open a new 24 hour branch in the Limelight Marketplace in Manhattan. There were also plans to re open 135 John Street. In July 2008, the restaurant was briefly seized and shut down by tax authorities. In 2010, Grimaldi's Brooklyn location was facing eviction, with the case going to court. In 2011, the building's owner declined to renew Ciolli's lease in Brooklyn, so he renovated an abandoned bank next door and moved the restaurant over: Also in 2011, a Grimaldi's outpost in Chelsea, Manhattan, was opened.

Grimaldi's expanded into Southern California in early 2013, in a location in El Segundo with 280 seats. It was reported that a chemist had been hired to make the water taste similar to the city water in Brooklyn. By 2017, Eric Greenwald was chief operating officer of Grimaldi's Pizza. That year, they opened a location in Detroit, while it had 50 stores overall. Also in 2017, the company signed a contract to open five stores in partnership with Tablez Food Co. to open five stores in the United Arab Emirates. The location, which had previously closed for the same reason, closed again in 2018. In February 2018, a Grimaldi's pizzeria closed in Colorado due to tax debt and the Coloradoan reported that Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria at Foothills shopping center had had its property seized by the county government, after it had closed the month prior. The overall company, earlier that year, had opened its 50th US location, with restaurants in 16 states.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria started a national domestic franchise program in April 2019. In May 2020, Entrepreneur reported that Grimaldi's had pivoted entirely to a carry out and delivery service model in response to the pandemic. The historic Brooklyn location, which had never offered delivery, began using delivery partnerships with other companies in early 2020, and an area was created for outdoor seating when patio dining was opened up by New York City. By later that year, the company had again started offering dine in service in New York. and the company had locations in South Carolina and Florida, as well as "to go" locations in New York along with its primary Brooklyn location. In October 2021, the company continued to expand in Austin, Texas, with a full service location after previously opening "to go" locations. As of 2022, during the COVID 19 pandemic, there were active locations in Meridian, Idaho, as well as Sparks, Nevada, and others in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. According to its website, the company overall had 41 company locations in the United States in ten states, and the company stated it was looking to expand internationally, stating it had 43 restaurants in operation overall. All the locations "re create the Brooklyn location" and import ingredients from the same suppliers.

The company traditionally does both carry out and in restaurant dining. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Grimaldi's crust is known for being thin and "cracker crispy," explaining "its cheese and sauce do not drip with olive oil" like other New York establishments that used the oil to keep the pizza from burning when reheated. Grimaldi's pizza, on the other hand, can't be reheated or it chars. As such, takeout pies are only cooked two thirds of the way, with customers instructed to finish cooking at home. The Las Vegas Sun described it as having a "crispy, chewy crust dotted with homemade pesto, roasted red peppers and the best fresh mozzarella in town other gourmet toppings include kalamata olives, Italian sausage, ricotta cheese and artichoke hearts." Writes The Washington Post, the restaurant in 2003 "regularly wins best pizza in New York surveys. Pizza, in fact, is all it serves, except for an antipasto for $10 (mozzarella, salami, roasted peppers and olives) and a few excellent desserts. You can get a small plain pizza for $12 and a large for $14. Most toppings are $2. Truth is, you don't go to Grimaldi's for the toppings, which were more than adequate. You go for the crust, which was incomparable on our visit: thin and crunchy, almost delicate in its lightness." Grimaldi's Pizzeria was one of the most acclaimed pizzerias in New York City. In March 2010, the Gothamist reported that in a visit to the Brooklyn pizzeria, Michelle Obama had "basically" said the pizza was superior to Chicago style pizza. Zagat Survey rated Grimaldi's the No. 1 Pizzeria in New York in 2007. It was named one of the top 10 restaurants in New York by Let's Do New York City. Grimaldi's Pizzeria was chosen as one of the five best pizzerias in United States by the Food Network. Its pizza was featured on the television show The Best Of

The location was featured in an episode of Law and Order.