Tell us about the history of Salvatore’s…you first opened in 2017, right?

Vito: Salvatore’s of Elmont Pizzeria & Restaurant opened our doors on November 6, 2017, that was our grand opening celebration. The named our restaurant after our first born, Salvatore who was born in 2014. We’re a family owned business; it's me and my wife Anna. We both bring our love of authentic Italian cooking to every meal. Locals tell us that Salvatore's of Elmont is a gem to our neighborhood because we make everyone feel like family as soon as they walk through the door. Each traditional Italian dish is cooked using our own personal touch, love, and flavor from our very own family recipes. Whether you just stop in for a slice of our brick-oven pizza or sit down (indoors or in our garden!) for a full pasta meal, you’ll always enjoy an unforgettable experience with exceptional ambiance.

What type of pizza do you serve?

Vito: We serve all different kinds of pizza; there are over 60 different pizza toppings and pies you can order and have a variety of ways to order; most notably by the slice, our Sicilian pies, stuffed, and our brick-oven pies. Out Sicilian pies are often our hottest sellers; especially our Grandma & Grandpa Sicilians; also available “drunken” with vodka sauce! When it comes to slices, the artichoke and spinach Sicilian, broccoli rabe and crumbled sausage Sicilian, rigatoni vodka, and our margherita tend to fly out of the oven. For our brick-oven pizza fan favorites include arugula and prosciutto, the al la nonna, and the 4 Seasons. Our famous stuffed pizza includes vegan, meat-lover, and cheese options with various toppings. We’ve also started offering cauliflower vegan pizza for our gluten and vegan pizza foodies. And that’s just the pizza menu…the list goes on and on and we customize any pizza per request a la carte.

Who were some of your biggest pizza influences growing up?

Vito: My biggest pizza influencer was and still is my father Salvatore who taught me everything I know today about pizza, pasta, and our famous recipes. He was in the pizza and restaurant business for 40 years. It’s a father's dream for his son to follow in his footsteps with the same vision and very traditional style of making pizza.

Congrats on being voted this year’s Best Restaurant in LI! Aside from putting out fantastic food, what else do you do to help cultivate loyalty in your community?

Vito: My wife and I do our best to get involved in Elmont and in our surrounding communities. We are loyal members of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce and the Sons of Italy. As restaurant owners, we value each person that enters our restaurant and we do our best to listen to each customer…everyone has a story and great food is how our lives intertwine. Our staff is amazing; they display the same work ethic and family values that we strive for and it really helps everyone to connect with all of our customers. We became family with our loyal customers; we’re not only on a first name basis, we know all about their families and what’s going on in their lives. Our customers are loyal because we are loyal to them and our goal is to always make each customer that walks in feel like family. In 2021, my wife and I were selected and awarded as the Businessperson of the Year from the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. It's all because of our customers and community. We do what we can to make sure that Elmont is a gem of a place to live and work in.

We first got to know you when you participated in our Pizza Across America program back in 2019…what sort of community projects have you been focusing on since then?

Vito: It was an honor to be part of Pizza Across America! We always do our best to give  back to the community, shelters, and those in need. My wife and I are always at the disposal of anyone in need; we both grew up with hard-working immigrant parents and remember the struggle. From when we first opened in 2017, we focused on various community projects and celebrations to bring our Elmont community and families together. We launched our first Spring Celebration in 2017 to give all families the chance to visit Salvatore’s, see the Easter bunny, get some free pizza, and hunt for eggs. Seeing the smiles on children and families is what motivates us and keeps us going. We also throw a huge community Christmas party. We have Santa come on a horse and carriage and give holiday gifts to all children. Whether families dine in or not, we have a line out the door where Santa gives wrapped gifts to all of the children. Santa also stays with Salvatore’s of Elmont for the evening and sings various carols to bring the holiday cheer to our community. One lady called us and told us, “I have been down and haven’t celebrated Christmas for several years because of family and the passing of a family member and for the first time ever as I was driving by I saw Santa outside your place singing and you made me believe in the magic of Christmas again.” To hear this from people that call or reach out on social media makes our heart smile.  

During the pandemic, we delivered and donated 500 meals every day to two Northwell Hospitals; one in Nassau in Valley Stream and one in Queens in Forest Hills for the frontline workers. We also gave pizza kits to families in need or any family that wanted to make pizza at no charge when the city was shut down. We needed to connect with people as we were all in sadness during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a very difficult and rough time for all businesses and families. As a country, we all needed to come together with each other. 

We always say that New York is strong and it’s everyone’s love for helping each other that gives us that strength. Our parents who immigrated to New York at a very young age taught us the value of helping others as strangers helped them. These days, we provide free WIFI for children in our community who need it for their studies. In our Facebook community, we let everyone know that they can reach out to us, no questions asked, if they know a family that needs food or if they need it themselves. We’ll deliver pizza at no charge.