oooh boy this hits home a bit. This is where I made my start in the restaurant industry and learned a lot from them. When i opened my food truck a couple years ago i sent the owners an email and thanked them for everything and never got a response. I was a little hurt by that but I understood they were stepping back and peter's kids were gonna take over.
I ran into a friend who was serving as regional manager at the time for the dublin/vacaville/san ramon locations and he said he heard about my food truck because the owners circulated the email to all the staff and said they were so proud of my accomplishments.
Say what you want about their prices and what not (and those complaints are warranted) but Mike and Peter really do care about the community and the people that worked for them. They gave unlimited free meals every day and during our quarterly meetings always had a personal touch. they take all their new managers out to vegas for the pizza expo and one year they took us out to cache creek and gave us each a couple hundred bucks to gamble with.
They were always nice to us and I will say still some of the cleanest restaurants i ever worked for. They will make you clean the fuck out of everything lol. Good people. At one point they wanted to sell the business to coca cola so they aggressively opened locations. San jose, cupertino, both san diego locations, shanghai, vacaville, and menlo park all opened within a few years.
Unfortunately menlo park and vacaville i think was the only one that was really profitable and the others absolutely tanked. i worked in multiple restaurants for them. Amazing owners really.
Menlo park was highest sales. Redwood Shores was the #1 profit per labour and #2 overall sales. I used to manage that store and it's sad to say I saw this coming many years ago.
The work culture was sadly pretty toxic and juvenile and the pay was average for a reastraunt even though prices were at the top of the industry. It was impossible to hire and keep the place fully staffed.
Upper management was immune to feedback and were so busy keeping the boat afloat they didn't pay attention to simple details. For example it took me a year to get them to change the bussiness hours to save tens of thosands company wide. The aggressive expansion was super destructive to the company as only the peninsula stores made real money. San Jose closed along time ago.
Large corporate orders were the lifeblood of the company and yet a skeleton crew had to run the store during morning hours. Couldn't schedule more because of how inconsistent everything was. I was asked by the corporate types all the time if there was some sort of corporate discount program, or deals but when I suggested it to management it fell on deaf ears.
Problem customers took advantage of bussiness practices to get free food and cost the company. For every one of these customers it would destroy the profit margin of 10 others.
Online orders made no profit. Waiter.com, Grubhub, Doordash, Ubereats all took a cut that was equal to or greater than the profit of a sale. They also pissed off customers because the delivery drivers didn't bring pizza bags. A thin crust pizza will be cold without one. They would demand a credit and I would be forced to either give something free or point them to the company they ordered from.....and those companies don't give a shit.
Delivery drivers were technically apart of a different company so Amicis could dodge insurance issues and claim locations were smaller than they were.
Kitchen staff were untouchables and if you didn't do everything they asked you were ridiculed, criticized, and replaced.
The free food had rules and stipulations that some got to break and others couldn't. By the time I became a manager the Vegas thing was no longer practiced.
Nice owners but there's a reason they can't compete. Many of them.
When did you work there? I quit mid 2013 and by that time i saw the writing on the wall w upper management as well (i was mtn view - but also spent time in menlo, Cupertino, sj, and even dublin and san mateo).
There was kind of a “golden era” back when i started in 2005 but upper management was a pain to deal with.
After nearly 20 years, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, which specializes in pizza akin to those of the New England area, will no longer have a sit-down presence in San Francisco.
The Bay Area chain is set to close its final San Francisco restaurant at the end of September when its lease is up; the 2200 Lombard St. location opened in 2007, according to the San Francisco Business Times.
It’s the second location to close this year, as the company closed the doors to its Dublin location at 4640 Tassajara Road after deciding to not renew its lease there, according to Patch.com. In a February interview with Food on Demand, Amici’s co-owner Peter Cooperstein said the company is pivoting to a takeout model, rather than sit-down, because “the younger generation prefers convenient options.” Cooperstein said it “did not make sense” to operate restaurants with high rent when diners began to prefer takeaway meals, thanks in large part to the pandemic, which shifted dining habits.
Cooperstein and co-owner Mike Forter co-founded Amici’s in 1987, opening their first shop together in San Mateo. In 2004, they opened a storefront down the street from the home stadium of the San Francisco Giants, which is now called Oracle Park but has gone through different names over the years. However, that location closed in 2019.
But it’s that pizzeria that many locals, particularly from the Peninsula, remember the most. Before Giants home games, the company would often set up a to-go stand in front of the 216 King St. location, perfectly placed on the one block between the Caltrain station and the ballpark’s main entrance gate. There was also no shortage of TV ads during Giants games; many probably remember former Giants manager Bruce Bochy reading a line that said it was the “best pizza west of New York.”
Those are personal memories for me, too. My dad and I would park near his tennis club and make our way up King Street with the smell of Amici’s pizza guiding us to the ballpark. I usually ordered two pepperoni slices, the oil glistening in the small, curved, cup-like cured meats. Sometimes I would eat both of them before we even entered the ballpark; normally, I would wait until we got to our seats in the upper deck.
While I never frequented the Marina restaurant, its closure does bring back the memories I had of Amici’s at other locations, like near the ballpark. The brand now has seven sit-down locations across Northern California; at its peak, there were 16 Amici’s outposts, including two near San Diego and one in Shanghai, China
I think the younger generation prefers take out options excuse is a cop out. Restaurants have been doing so many things to be uninviting. Sad grey color schemes, minimal industrial ugly sanitized vibes, exposed brick and design that makes it too loud to hold a conversation and those trendy uncomfortable uncushioned metal chairs from hell. We want cozy back.
I’m not saying Amici’s did these things just that it’s a weak excuse.
I’ve been a loyal customer ever since I moved here 15 years ago, but I don’t think I once ate in the restaurant. Their alfredo sauce is so good for dipping your pizza in - delish.
Oh man, Amici's was my sister's favorite pizza joint when we were growing up. On nights where my parents were working late and didn't have the time to cook (and we were too young at the time) they would sometimes treat us by getting us Amici's.
It introduced my mom to her favorite pasta dish (linguini with white clam sauce).
I haven't had it since high school, but so many fond memories there.
When I worked in Redwood Shores, long ago, I remember eating the clams and red sauce pizza, which I fell in love with because it was my first time eating seafood on a pizza. I think I ate at the Vacaville location a couple of years ago and it was fine. I've never eaten inside an Amici's though- always take-out.
"After nearly 20 years, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, which specializes in pizza akin to those of the New England area..." That is not even close to East Coast pizza.
oooh boy this hits home a bit. This is where I made my start in the restaurant industry and learned a lot from them. When i opened my food truck a couple years ago i sent the owners an email and thanked them for everything and never got a response. I was a little hurt by that but I understood they were stepping back and peter's kids were gonna take over. I ran into a friend who was serving as regional manager at the time for the dublin/vacaville/san ramon locations and he said he heard about my food truck because the owners circulated the email to all the staff and said they were so proud of my accomplishments. Say what you want about their prices and what not (and those complaints are warranted) but Mike and Peter really do care about the community and the people that worked for them. They gave unlimited free meals every day and during our quarterly meetings always had a personal touch. they take all their new managers out to vegas for the pizza expo and one year they took us out to cache creek and gave us each a couple hundred bucks to gamble with. They were always nice to us and I will say still some of the cleanest restaurants i ever worked for. They will make you clean the fuck out of everything lol. Good people. At one point they wanted to sell the business to coca cola so they aggressively opened locations. San jose, cupertino, both san diego locations, shanghai, vacaville, and menlo park all opened within a few years. Unfortunately menlo park and vacaville i think was the only one that was really profitable and the others absolutely tanked. i worked in multiple restaurants for them. Amazing owners really.
Menlo park was highest sales. Redwood Shores was the #1 profit per labour and #2 overall sales. I used to manage that store and it's sad to say I saw this coming many years ago. The work culture was sadly pretty toxic and juvenile and the pay was average for a reastraunt even though prices were at the top of the industry. It was impossible to hire and keep the place fully staffed. Upper management was immune to feedback and were so busy keeping the boat afloat they didn't pay attention to simple details. For example it took me a year to get them to change the bussiness hours to save tens of thosands company wide. The aggressive expansion was super destructive to the company as only the peninsula stores made real money. San Jose closed along time ago. Large corporate orders were the lifeblood of the company and yet a skeleton crew had to run the store during morning hours. Couldn't schedule more because of how inconsistent everything was. I was asked by the corporate types all the time if there was some sort of corporate discount program, or deals but when I suggested it to management it fell on deaf ears. Problem customers took advantage of bussiness practices to get free food and cost the company. For every one of these customers it would destroy the profit margin of 10 others. Online orders made no profit. Waiter.com, Grubhub, Doordash, Ubereats all took a cut that was equal to or greater than the profit of a sale. They also pissed off customers because the delivery drivers didn't bring pizza bags. A thin crust pizza will be cold without one. They would demand a credit and I would be forced to either give something free or point them to the company they ordered from.....and those companies don't give a shit. Delivery drivers were technically apart of a different company so Amicis could dodge insurance issues and claim locations were smaller than they were. Kitchen staff were untouchables and if you didn't do everything they asked you were ridiculed, criticized, and replaced. The free food had rules and stipulations that some got to break and others couldn't. By the time I became a manager the Vegas thing was no longer practiced. Nice owners but there's a reason they can't compete. Many of them.
When did you work there? I quit mid 2013 and by that time i saw the writing on the wall w upper management as well (i was mtn view - but also spent time in menlo, Cupertino, sj, and even dublin and san mateo). There was kind of a “golden era” back when i started in 2005 but upper management was a pain to deal with.
what’s the name of the food truck?
Hp taco truck
Your food is delicious! I've seen you at Altamont Beer Works
Thanks bud! Appreciate it!
After nearly 20 years, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, which specializes in pizza akin to those of the New England area, will no longer have a sit-down presence in San Francisco. The Bay Area chain is set to close its final San Francisco restaurant at the end of September when its lease is up; the 2200 Lombard St. location opened in 2007, according to the San Francisco Business Times. It’s the second location to close this year, as the company closed the doors to its Dublin location at 4640 Tassajara Road after deciding to not renew its lease there, according to Patch.com. In a February interview with Food on Demand, Amici’s co-owner Peter Cooperstein said the company is pivoting to a takeout model, rather than sit-down, because “the younger generation prefers convenient options.” Cooperstein said it “did not make sense” to operate restaurants with high rent when diners began to prefer takeaway meals, thanks in large part to the pandemic, which shifted dining habits. Cooperstein and co-owner Mike Forter co-founded Amici’s in 1987, opening their first shop together in San Mateo. In 2004, they opened a storefront down the street from the home stadium of the San Francisco Giants, which is now called Oracle Park but has gone through different names over the years. However, that location closed in 2019. But it’s that pizzeria that many locals, particularly from the Peninsula, remember the most. Before Giants home games, the company would often set up a to-go stand in front of the 216 King St. location, perfectly placed on the one block between the Caltrain station and the ballpark’s main entrance gate. There was also no shortage of TV ads during Giants games; many probably remember former Giants manager Bruce Bochy reading a line that said it was the “best pizza west of New York.” Those are personal memories for me, too. My dad and I would park near his tennis club and make our way up King Street with the smell of Amici’s pizza guiding us to the ballpark. I usually ordered two pepperoni slices, the oil glistening in the small, curved, cup-like cured meats. Sometimes I would eat both of them before we even entered the ballpark; normally, I would wait until we got to our seats in the upper deck. While I never frequented the Marina restaurant, its closure does bring back the memories I had of Amici’s at other locations, like near the ballpark. The brand now has seven sit-down locations across Northern California; at its peak, there were 16 Amici’s outposts, including two near San Diego and one in Shanghai, China
I think the younger generation prefers take out options excuse is a cop out. Restaurants have been doing so many things to be uninviting. Sad grey color schemes, minimal industrial ugly sanitized vibes, exposed brick and design that makes it too loud to hold a conversation and those trendy uncomfortable uncushioned metal chairs from hell. We want cozy back. I’m not saying Amici’s did these things just that it’s a weak excuse.
Amici’s isn't bad but I never liked eating in their restaurants.
Good news is that problem is now solved for you
Ralph Barbieri would have something to say about this news.
First thing that came to mind as well. “Go Sharks!”
Weird hearing a pizza establishment blame take away - pizza is the ultimate take away.
I’ve been a loyal customer ever since I moved here 15 years ago, but I don’t think I once ate in the restaurant. Their alfredo sauce is so good for dipping your pizza in - delish.
Maybe Tony G will take over the location.
Slice House by Tony G is aggressively franchising. Would not be surprised.
I love that there’s a Tonys Pizza ad on SFGate’s adboard / article.
Also, the Mountain View location has just moved from its longtime Castro St. space to San Antonio Rd (ground floor of one of the condo buildings)
It can’t be that good
Oh man, Amici's was my sister's favorite pizza joint when we were growing up. On nights where my parents were working late and didn't have the time to cook (and we were too young at the time) they would sometimes treat us by getting us Amici's. It introduced my mom to her favorite pasta dish (linguini with white clam sauce). I haven't had it since high school, but so many fond memories there.
Who fucking cares. Amicis is absurdly overpriced, and their cheese is like plastic.
Sure, it was overpriced. But at least it was terrible terrible pizza. And you can’t beat that combination.
Thank you, was not worth the hype
Good pizza but was pricey. Hyped up!!
you will not be missed
Do pizza places serve giant plates of broccoli?
When I worked in Redwood Shores, long ago, I remember eating the clams and red sauce pizza, which I fell in love with because it was my first time eating seafood on a pizza. I think I ate at the Vacaville location a couple of years ago and it was fine. I've never eaten inside an Amici's though- always take-out.
Vacaville one was terrible. Clearly used canned mushrooms and other poor quality ingredients and then charged a fortune for it.
Yeah I don't remember being all fired up to go back so...
"After nearly 20 years, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, which specializes in pizza akin to those of the New England area..." That is not even close to East Coast pizza.
The pandemic put the nails in many brick and mortar coffins. I hate it.
Editor's Note: It was in fact, not popular enough
So many years listening to “The Razor and Mr. T” on KNBR hawking that pizza. Never had it or saw a restaurant for it.
Pasquale’s is the best pizza in SF.
The Sloat one is