Restaurateur Anthony Bruno and his business partner – hall of fame quarterback Dan Marino – are aiming for a touchdown with the expansion of their pizza chain to Great Neck.
Bruno opened the 40th Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza restaurant at 420 Northern Blvd. on Saturday at an event that included Marino talking to press and signing autographs.
“As far as Great Neck, I know the area. It’s a great town,” Bruno, a Franklin Square native, said in a phone interview. “I like the proximity to Queens – we can draw from Queens, Bayside.”
Bruno moved from Long Island to Florida in 1982 and opened an Italian restaurant with his father, according to the company’s Web site.
In 2002, Bruno launched the first Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Fort Lauderdale, drawing customers with a cooking technique that he said brings an authentic flavor to his pizzas.
“It’s a real coal oven – there’s no gas, nothing,” Bruno said. “It’s crispy, it has a smoky flavor to it.”
Combined with fresh ingredients, Bruno touted his restaurants’ “Italian soul food” as a great experience for diners.
“I think that we do it old school. We do it the way we used to be,” Bruno said. “I don’t have a freezer in the place.”
Marino, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback who set records during his 16 year National Football League career, has been a partner in the enterprise since it was launched, Bruno said.
“He got on board with the first one we opened up,” Bruno said. “He always tries to make it to the opening.”
And though Long Island has an abundance of places to grab a slice, Bruno said locals won’t regret a trip to his restaurant.
“We do everything right,” Bruno said. “We don’t spare any expense on what we do.”
