The owner of DeLorenzo’s Pizza, a legendary spot in Trenton, New Jersey, hasn’t given up after his restaurant was seized this month by the state of New Jersey for unpaid taxes.
Rick DeLorenzo has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to keep his beloved pizza brand alive. With a current goal of $20,000, the campaign had raised $9,355 as of 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, March 18.
NJ.com last week reported that DeLorenzo’s, which has a legacy going back nearly 90 years, had closed after a seizure notice, dated March 11, had been posted on the restaurant’s front door by New Jersey’s Division of Taxation.
Related: Why Has This Legendary New Jersey Pizzeria Closed After Nearly 90 Years?
DeLorenzo offered some context for the closure on his GoFundMe page. He said DeLorenzo’s Pizza was “shut down unexpectedly” by the state “for failing to keep up on a tax lien.”
He went on to explain: “My business has suffered considerably due to the closure of a nearby AMC 24 movie theater, the pandemic and the opening of two additional DeLorenzos Pizza shops in the surrounding area. My income has dropped drastically in the last ten years. I’m looking to raise enough money to keep my family business afloat that began in 1938! Please consider making a donation to support a small business that has been a part of the Mercer County area for over 80 years!”
Rick DeLorenzo is the scion of arguably New Jersey’s most famous pizza family. Pasquale and Maria De Lorenzo opened their first restaurant, DeLorenzo’s Pizza, in 1938, and Rick is their grandson.
Another legendary pizza brand bears the family’s name, De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies, but its two locations are separately owned by Rick’s relatives.
