Tomasso’s Pizza & Subs is a family affair. Owned and operated by the husband-wife team of Peg and Mike Tomasso, the crew includes their daughter Megan Koch and her husband Kelly as well as Mike’s sister, Anita Battalini.
And many of the customers are like extended family.
“This place is like ‘Cheers’,” says Peg, referring to the classic sitcom set in a Boston bar. “We have a lot of regulars.”
“Some real characters walk in here,” adds Mike. “It’s a never-ending parade.”
Mike’s late parents opened Tomasso’s in 1981, and it didn’t take long for business to start booming. “Boca News reporter Skip Sheffield did an off-the-cuff survey of local pizzerias and rated ours No. 1,” says Mike. “Since then, it’s been nonstop.”
The Tomassos credit quality ingredients, attention to detail, a welcoming atmosphere and community involvement for their continued success. Along with sponsoring sports teams, they donate food and services for charity events, including the occasional pizza-for-a-year gift certificate. Giving has also inspired culinary innovation.
“When the FAU football team started up, we offered to donate some appetizers for a fundraiser,” recalls Peg. “We stuffed a meatball inside a garlic roll with some Parmesan cheese and called it an Owl Ball. People started coming here and requesting it, so we put it on the menu.”
In the days of endangered mom-and-pop businesses, Tomasso’s continues to prosper. But the bottom line has more to do about family than profits. “It’s a great feeling to come in here every day and be with family,” says Peg. “We all get along so well together. It’s work, but it’s fun.”
This story is from our September/October 2019 issue of Boca magazine. For more content like this, subscribe to the magazine.
