Photo by Neidy Gutierrez / SOC Images.
Nestled in the Paulus Hook neighborhood of Jersey City, lies Tino’s Artisan Pizza Co. where many people, including families, are always on the go.
Their 199 Warren St. location is set with wooden tables and half-wood, half-orange chairs with a backdrop of dark orange walls that are decorated with black-and-white photos taken by Tino Procaccini, the owner, showing off his special moments of his family. Slice of Culture spoke with general manager Sam Starobinsky who said that Tino’s puts family at the center of their philosophy–whether it be their staff or community that they serve.
“[Jersey City] is one of our top locations… We love the people. [Despite] different cultures [and] different backgrounds, everyone seems to love pizza,” Starobinsky laughed.
“All of the shots you see are actually taken by [Tino]… They’re all photos of either his grandmother, his father, his kids and we hang them up at all of our locations, not just for decor but …. [it] ties back to the family-oriented restaurant. Tino’s a big family guy and that’s how we try to treat the employees [and] the staff.”
Tino’s is another participant in the ongoing Jersey City Restaurant Fest’s Summer Fest Week, which will continue until July 27. The Jersey City Restaurant Owners Coalition event is meant to encourage supporting local businesses by dining in and increasing their visibility to potential new customers. There’s an event in winter and summer.
Bringing Something Different To Jersey
Procaccini was raised by his parents who had come from Molise, Italy, which is in the southern part of the country. He visited his homeland every summer, deepening his passion for his Italian roots.
In 1999, Procaccini opened his first–and smallest–location in a 500-square feet store in Kingston, a historical town off Route 27.
Today, roughly 25 years later, Tino’s has established five other locations in and around New Jersey including: Madison, Upper Montclair, Rumson, Ocean Grove and Jersey City, where Starobinsky was identifying the different photos above him, which marked Tino’s journey.
Though the Warren Street artisan pizza spot is not the original, Starobinsky noted that it has climbed to be one of its most successful locations. It first opened in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but thanks to the “great” community response, the location was able to make it out and continue to prosper with its many regulars.
They implemented a takeout option during the pandemic, which can be found on the side as a pick-up window, and they’ve kept it ever since.
Starobinsky described the overall establishment as “very family-oriented” because of their menu that’s friendly for everyone. A portion of the menu is handwritten in chalk on a blackboard; on it reads its different pizzas, appetizers and desserts. Everything is made-to-order, including their pizzas, which are cooked within five minutes.
Sectioned off the side is their restaurant fest deal, which is: a choice of salad to share, two entrees (pizza or pasta) and a dessert to share, all for $50.
Some options for the deal–which Starobinsky thought would be perfect for the summer–include: a fragola salad, made of mixed greens, strawberries, almonds, feta and homemade balsamic vinaigrette; Cacio e Pepe pizza, a spin-off of the classic Rome pasta dish; chicken parm pasta with filled tortellone and antibiotic free breaded chicken breast; and a freshly piped cannoli.
“[We’re] happy to be able to offer something along with the fact that we use all natural ingredients. All our salad dressing are made with extra virgin olive oil… We don’t use any products that have artificial sweeteners…,” Starobinsky said.
“… Even though you’re eating a substantial meal, you don’t walk away feeling groggy [or] sluggish. It’s all good quality ingredients and what we’ve been doing since day one.”
Tino’s has been participating in the Jersey City Restaurant Fest Week every season for the last few years. Starobinsky credited Melanie Rudin, the founder of the fest, for being vital in setting the citywide event up.
“[Jersey City Restaurant Fest] is nice because it really gives people a reason to go out and support these businesses,” he added.
“In some areas in Jersey City, maybe things slow down in some areas or maybe they pick up, but it’s a great way for people to go out and try something new whether it’s across town or in their neighborhood and gives them the opportunity to go to a prefix thing [with a] maybe a little more approachable price than normal.”
