Frank Panzone Jr and his wife Joyce opened Panzone’s Pizza in Beach Haven on May 13th 1980. They converted a small building on the corner of 11th St and the Boulevard from an ice cream store to a pizza shop. The building soon had a fresh coat of bright yellow paint and green trim, cement was poured and picnic tables were placed outside under a yellow awning. Patrons ordered their food through a takeout window, Panzone’s quickly became a popular spot for pizzas, huge steak sandwiches and hoagies. It was the place to go for late night munchies and was open until 3am every night. In 1984 Panzone’s expanded to the north end of the Island and opened Panzone’s Pizza in Surf City at 22nd St and Long Beach Blvd. The Beach Haven location was ready to expand by 1987 and Frank Panzone Jr built a full service restaurant adding pasta to his already famous menu. The new restaurant, Panzone’s Pizza & Pasta opened for Memorial Day weekend that year. The original location remained and became known as the Slice Shop still serving pizza from the takeout window. In 1998 the Slice Shop was torn down to make way for an expansion to Panzone’s Pizza & Pasta. Generations of families have been dining at Panzone’s. Frank Panzone Jr. made his pizza famous on Long Beach Island.
