After a devastating fire gutted Bario’s 10 months ago, the Staten Island pizzeria has not only risen up from the ashes, it’s thriving. But co-owner Mario Rapaglia has some advice for fellow operators.

“Make sure you have adequate fire insurance,” he told Staten Island Live. “And if you think you have enough, you probably need double. Also, have insurance for a lot of contents because not only does it affect you, it affects your neighbors as well.”

An electrical fire set off alarms in the area in the wee hours of June 9, 2023. “We raced over there—all of my employees did—but there was nothing we could do. I felt absolutely helpless. We just stood there and watched it burn.”

Rebuilding his 35-year-old pizza shop proved more costly than he expected. He said local contractors’ prices have tripled. It took more than nine months, but the pizzeria fully reopened on March 23. The party room, which can seat 70 people for birthday parties and pizza-making lessons for local children, is up and running again, as are Bario’s school meal program and catering operation. “It was boom…we were off to the races again,” Rapaglia said.

Bario’s has also resumed offering popular value deals like round pies for $10 and Sicilians for $15. “Where do you feed people for 10 bucks? The customers are very grateful,” Rapaglia said in the Staten Live interview. And we’ve been getting a lot of ‘hallelujahs’ and ‘thank God you’re open.’”

But a couple of things have changed, he added.

“I’ve noticed that my customer base is now half Asian,” Rapaglia said. “In the 10 months I’ve been closed, it’s a whole new crop of people. Also, I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people that ask for a job. The labor is more abundant—I’m sure the migrants have something to do with it. Wives are coming in with their husbands and translating for them.”

Pizza News