Anna’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant has been a staple for many in Newport News since being taken over in 1989 by co-owners and brothers-in-law Tony Morabito and Guiseppe Zolea. Speaking with Morabito about the restaurant, it is clear the success of the business is measured not only in the quality of the food, but also by the numerous relationships that have emerged from within the restaurant’s convivial atmosphere.
Morabito shares many fond memories and anecdotes about the business, proving all the hard work put into Anna’s Pizza over the last few decades has more than paid off.
His experience in the restaurant industry started long before he and Zolea took over Anna’s Pizza. Upon graduating high school in Brooklyn, New York, Morabito began working part time in a local Italian restaurant. It wasn’t until 1976 he opened his own place, The Golden Pizza, in the old Coliseum Mall in Hampton. He tells how he quickly doubled, then tripled the profits of The Golden Pizza, going on to open another successful restaurant in the Outer Banks. When Coliseum Mall closed in 1989, he decided that Anna’s Pizza would be his new main focus.
Morabito strives to make a lasting impact on his community, saying, “An ounce of example is worth more than a pound of advice.” This is why he was, for many years, the first one to arrive in the morning and the last one to leave at night. He says that, over the years, he has taken many employees under his wing and formed lasting connections with them. But his dedication to the restaurant doesn’t end with those he’s worked with, as he also makes sure to send out meals to those in the community who may be in need of a fresh slice of pizza, or a hearty bowl of pasta.
Morabito is proud of the note from a friend, and the owner of another local business, that says, “The whole staff thanks you and your staff for a wonderful, unexpected lunch!” Another saved note states, “I was so blown away by your generosity today.”
When asked about the most popular dish amongst his visitors, Morabito struggles to narrow it to just one. He says the workers at Newport News Ship tend to favor the sub sandwiches, while the regulars who come during lunch often settle on the lentil soup. Overall, he says, while many people go for spaghetti with meat sauce, “We are very famous for our pizza. Everybody says we have the best pizza on the Peninsula,” Morabito says. And he speaks highly about their fresh bruschetta.
In case there was any doubt, fans of the restaurant are not limited to locals and regulars. Morabito tells of a time when Oscar-winning actress, Jamie Lee Curtis, was filming in the area and used to call him to order a margherita pizza three times a week throughout her stay. One time, when he personally delivered a pizza to her trailer, she gave him a signed photo (still hanging in the restaurant) that says “Anna’s rules!”
Another famous visitor was Andrea Boccelli, who stopped by after a performance at Ferguson Center for the Arts. He ordered the spaghetti with garlic and olive oil and then proceeded to give an impromptu performance for the customers and staff.
And yet another, more local, distinguished individual who was a fan of Anna’s Pizza was the late Newport News Mayor Joe Frank, and his wife Jane Susan. A longtime customer of the restaurant, Mayor Frank also awarded Morabito a plaque of achievement for sending pizzas to the local fire stations.
For 35 years, Anna’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant has stood strong due to the hard work of Morabito, Zolea and their dedicated staff, But aside from Morabito’s many tales about the people with whom he has worked, his dedicated regulars (both former and current), and occasional celebrity visitors, he shares that he is grateful, above all, for the success of his children, Maria, Marco and Massimo. “My biggest achievement is my children,” he says with a broad smile. “I’m very proud of them.”
TO THE POINT:
Anna’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant No. 2, Inc.
Address: 9708 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601
Phone: 757-595-0723
Contact: Tony Morabito, owner
Website: annaspizzahilton.com
