Mama’s Pizza, a longtime dining fixture on the Upper West Side, will close its current location after more than 20 years. Owner Frank Tuttolomondo, grandson of the original “Mama” Marianinna, stated that this closure marks not an end but the start of a search for a new spot within the neighborhood they have called home for years, according to I Love the Upper West Side.
Located at 941 Amsterdam Avenue for the past 20 years, Mama’s Pizza is currently finalizing negotiations for a new location nearby. Frank told I Love the Upper West Side that the need for repairs and utility upgrades in the current space, compounded with disagreements with property management, prompted the family to make this decision.
Mama’s is closing its original location, which has operated for many years. Frank stated that the family’s pizza legacy will continue. He credited his work ethic and dedication to quality to the influence of his grandmother, uncles, and parents. Mama’s Too, a separate branch of the business, continues to operate in New York’s pizza market.
As reported by Eater, the pizza landscape across New York City is undergoing changes; Mama’s Pizza is not the only establishment facing closures and relocations, as numerous other eateries throughout the boroughs are also adjusting. While transitions are underway, businesses like Mama’s Pizza aim to maintain their recipes and community connections by continuing operations in new nearby locations.
Indeed, community figures like Roberto Gomez, president of the Upper Westside League, express relief upon learning that Mama's is committed to staying local. Famously ordering an "original grandma slice with some Zeppoli," Gomez highlights the importance of Mama’s Pizza to the cultural and historical fabric of the Upper West Side, in a statement obtained by I Love the Upper West Side.
