DeLorenzo’s Pizza, which was seized by the state of New Jersey last month for unpaid taxes, has reopened under owner Rick DeLorenzo, scion of a legendary pizza family.
DeLorenzo is getting by with a little help from his friends—and fans of his legendary Trenton brand—who pitched in to help him get square with New Jersey’s tax authorities. However, relocation is a possibility, DeLorenzo told NJ.com.
DeLorenzo’s Pizza has been famous for its Trenton-style tomato pies for nearly 90 years. But New Jersey’s Division of Taxation seized the restaurant in early March 2025 for “failure to comply with New Jersey tax laws.”
In a bid to save the business, DeLorenzo launched a GoFundMe campaign shortly after the seizure. His goal for the campaign was $20,000, and it has raised $14,025 thus far. According to NJ.com, he has also secured loans from friends and has scrounged up a total of about $20,000, enabling him to reopen his restaurant.
“I have customers that have moved all over the country, and when they saw I was in trouble, they helped out,” DeLorenzo told NJ.com. “I really appreciate all the help I got.”
However, DeLorenzo might not be able to stay in his current location for long. The Hamilton Township Planning Board had previously approved the pizzeria’s space for a cannabis dispensary owned by Vision Cannabis, which was scheduled to take over the spot when DeLorenzo’s lease expires in July.
DeLorenzo hopes to share the space with Cannabis Vision, which will save money for his struggling pizza operation. Otherwise, he told NJ.com, “I can’t afford to stay there—the overhead is too much. If this doesn’t work out, I’m going to be relocating—hopefully in Hamilton Township.”
DeLorenzo is the descendant of Pasquale and Maria De Lorenzo, who opened DeLorenzo’s Pizza in 1938. Another family descendant owns the equally famous De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, New Jersey, and Yardley, Pennsylvania, but those restaurants are not affiliated with Rick DeLorenzo’s pizzeria.
DeLorenzo announced in an April 1 post on Facebook that his pizzeria was “officially open” again. An April 4 post proclaimed, “It’s great to be back!” and featured a photo of what appeared to be a child’s handwritten note and drawing of a plain sausage pie. The note welcomed DeLorenzo’s Pizza back and stated, “We missed your pizzas!”
DeLorenzo told NJ.com that he’s “ecstatic” to be back in business. “I didn’t know what to do with myself without making pizza,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for, like, 50 years, and I was like half a man without my work.”
