Second-generation pizza maker starts family business

Amici Pizzeria starts from scratch with unique recipes and a family-first approach.

Amici Pizzeria’s Anthony Fabbri was destined to run an Italian restaurant. When he was a child, his father Silvio founded the popular Umberto’s Pizzeria in Fair Haven, NJ using recipes from his native Napoli, Italy. Anthony and his mother took over Umberto’s when Silvio died in 2014 and operated the shop until it closed six years later.

“Anthony literally grew up in a pizzeria,” says his wife and business partner Melissa Fabbri. “Making pizza is in his blood.”

The couple opened Amici Pizzeria in 2021 to carry on the family tradition of offering made-from-scratch Italian specialties. Anthony adds to the menu weekly with dishes of his own.

“He always likes to try different things — I love his creativity,” says Melissa. “One of his specialties is ‘The Bees Knees,’ a pizza topped with pepperoni, dollops of ricotta, and house-made hot honey.”

The Atlantic Highlands, NJ-based restaurant was recently honored by Jersey Shops, a program co-sponsored by Citizens and the New Jersey Devils to spotlight New Jersey-based businesses making a positive impact on their communities. This is a special honor for Anthony, who is such a devoted Devils fan that he has a tattoo of the team's logo.

The Fabbris recently shared how they found success by following their dreams, preparing for challenges, and focusing on their customers.

Tip: Careful planning is critical

Anthony and Melissa always knew they wanted to start their own restaurant. They got off to a strong start with a food truck serving fresh pasta, and in 2020 the couple had 19 events booked. When those were canceled because of COVID-19 and the restaurant his father founded closed, they decided to look for a physical location to open their own pizzeria.

They knew opening a restaurant during the pandemic would be a challenge, but they wanted to try.

“If we hadn’t taken this risk, I would have been wondering my whole life if we could have opened our own business,” says Anthony. “It has been hard, but we don’t regret it. Our biggest supporters turned out to be our customers and other pizzeria owners in the New Jersey-New York area that we talked to for support and advice.”

While opening any new business to fulfill a dream can be challenging, Anthony and Melissa did not take the risk blindly. It was careful planning that led to the opening of Amici. Experience in the restaurant industry enabled the couple to budget appropriately, allowing them to correctly estimate the cost of food and equipment that would be required to launch.

In the initial stages, the couple tested specialty pizzas and other items, rolling out the menu gradually as they could manage it. “We weren’t able to offer our complete dinner menu right away, but this gave us time to refine what we were offering our customers,” says Melissa.

The couple also looked at several different existing pizzerias that were for sale before finding their spot in Atlantic Highlands. The location they chose turned out to be a smart investment. “Even if we sold the business today, after less than two years in business, we’d likely be making a profit,” notes Anthony.

Bottom line: Launching a company involves having faith in yourself and your idea. Advance planning can increase the likelihood of making your dream a reality. Have a fully defined target customer, a robust list of costs, a plan for cash flow management, and a strategy for marketing and sales. Your situation may evolve, but research and preparation will set you up to start strong.

Tip: Be prepared for challenges

Amici’s doors opened in September 2021. Like any new business, the company faced some obstacles. From the start, staffing was one of its biggest hurdles. Initially, the pizzeria was only able to open five days a week, because they didn’t have adequate kitchen and counter help. Anthony did all the cooking himself, and Melissa stepped in when she could.

“It took us a while to find the right person to work beside Anthony in the kitchen, because we didn’t want to compromise on quality,” says Melissa. “We eventually recruited a chef from a competitor.”

It was a gradual process, but wholly worth it, as the couple has also been able to find delivery drivers and counter staff who meet their high standards.

Supply chain shortages and price increases have also been a challenge. Paper shortages at the end of 2021, for example, made it difficult to source pizza boxes and, when they could get them, the prices were tripled. At the same time, rising gas prices led to price increases across the board. Unfortunately, when gas prices eventually decreased, other prices did not.

“Navigating constant price hikes is tricky, because we can’t change our own menu prices every week to compensate,” Melissa says. “It’s easier to adjust certain prices on online ordering sites like DoorDash, but we can’t reprint our paper menus every week.

The Fabbris have also adapted by making menu changes. “We originally had a blackened mahi-mahi sandwich on the menu,” says Anthony. “The fish became difficult and expensive to stock, and it was quickly perishable, so we just took it off the menu.”

The business has stabilized over the last eight months, as the couple has gotten a handle on operating costs and become more established in the community. The Fabbris financed the business with an investment from a partner. “She’s a family friend who believed in us and liked our food,” says Melissa.

The couple has also benefited by working closely with a business banker for advice on their future financial needs, which may include purchasing a second location or restarting the food truck operation. To help keep their goals on track and financially prepare to navigate future challenges, their Citizens Business Banker makes suggestions on ways financing and other solutions can keep their cash flow steady.

“We like working with a banker who knows us by name and doesn’t just make us feel like we’re a number,” says Melissa. “They’re available to talk with us and work with our business to help us achieve our goals.”

Bottom line: If you anticipate challenges, they aren’t as disruptive to your company. Think ahead and be prepared mentally and tactically for potential issues that may arise. Plan for financial challenges by having financing in place. Even the most successful businesses occasionally encounter cash flow problems and a line of credit or a business loan can position your business to cover unexpected expenses and take advantage of opportunities.

Tip: Focus on your customer

When the Fabbris opened the business, they made a lot of changes to the menu and decor to differentiate it from the pizzeria that occupied the space previously. If they could do it again, they would have moved a bit more slowly with their customers in mind.

“I think it would have been better to make more gradual changes,” says Anthony. “People get used to a business — changing things a bit more slowly would have given customers time to get to know us and lessen the blow of losing a local business they loved.”

As they establish their own clientele, posting regularly to social media is one of the biggest ways the pizzeria has raised its profile with current and potential customers. Amici’s also supports the community by sponsoring local school and sports organizations, such as the high school wrestling team.

“It’s unpredictable what will work — things we think will get a lot of attention have no traction, and things we don’t expect to resonate strike a chord with people,” says Melissa. “But repetition is important. The more people see our logo and brand, the more they’ll consider coming in and trying our food.”

Amici also offers DIY pizza parties to connect with families in the community. For birthdays and other special occasions, groups of kids can come in, watch a demonstration to learn how a pizza is made, and then make their own. “It’s something my father did at his own restaurant Umberto’s, and I like to carry on the tradition,” Anthony says.

First and foremost, the Fabbris — parents of three young children — stress that Amici is a family business.

“We’re a family business —we love food and we love people,” says Melissa, who gave birth to their youngest during Amici’s hectic first year of business. “We’re always go-go-go and it has been a wild ride. Our doors are open to make people happy with food and togetherness. We want to serve good food, offer great service, and have people leave happy.”

Bottom line: Thinking about your customers’ priorities, needs, and preferences is important at every stage of running your business. Market needs are continually evolving, so be sure to have a customer-centric mindset and stay connected to what your customers value. Continually test and refine your products, services, and marketing approach to ensure that what you are offering is what your customers want and need.

Do you need guidance on your small business journey? Schedule an appointment with Citizens to receive personalized assistance for your business.