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Serving the Wayne and especially William Paterson community since 1976, Brother Bruno’s Pizza has opened its second location, right in the Pioneer Food Court on campus – much to the delight of current students and nostalgia-hungry alumni.
Wayne’s oldest family-owned pizzeria, Brother Bruno’s is now serving its famous eats on campus every Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prepared fresh in on-site pizza ovens, the Bruno’s team is selling pizza by the slice, as well as whole pies, chicken rolls, pasta, stromboli, and more.
“We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” says Neil Mazzella, who owns and operates Brother Bruno’s with his brother Vinny and Neil’s son / Vinny’s nephew, Peter. “Obviously, William Paterson is a big part of our 50 years in business,” Peter adds.
A lot has changed. Once located at the intersection of Hamburg Turnpike and Ratzer Road, the business moved a few doors down on Hamburg (next door to what is now Quik Check – the former site of a Jeep dealership) 14 years ago. A menu of plain pizza, meatballs, and sausage & peppers has been significantly expanded to include everything from breakfast to burgers to Brother Bruno’s nationally acclaimed dessert pies – topped with sweets from Fruity Pebbles cereal to Nutella and cookie dough. Those, too, are being served on campus.
Amid the changes, however, the tie to WP remains a constant.
In the past: Students in the 80s and 90s piling into their vehicles to head to Bruno’s during cigarette smoke-induced fire alarms in the res halls. Meatball-eating contests notoriously won by a WP student referred to as “Big Mac.” The long Saturday night lines for the five arcade machines that have since been retired.
“I could have paid my rent off what we made on that pinball machine,” Neil recalls, laughing.
In the present: The Pioneers football team ordering 25 cheesesteak pies on film days. WP nursing majors winning the unofficial moniker of “most reliable college students hired to work at Bruno’s.” Members of the Mazzella family being recognized by WP alumni far and wide – even internationally.
“We can’t even leave the country to go on vacation,” Neil laughs, as Peter recalls being stopped in Cabo, Mexico by an alum who asked, “Brunos?!” … “And I wasn’t wearing a Brother Bruno’s t-shirt,” Peter notes.
Opened in late January on the first day of the spring semester, the new Bruno’s location on campus – decorated with a mural of its original circular home on Hamburg Turnpike – proudly displays signage that notes “Serving William Paterson University Since 1976.”
“Times have changed,” Vinny says, as the team discusses the shop’s social media accounts (where patrons who win eating competitions now get their photos posted) and shipping their famous eats across the nation – a popular gift among WP alumni – thanks to the Bruno’s website. “But we’re still here,” Peter says, smiling.
Their message to WP alumni? “We want them all to come back and visit. In either location,” Neil says. “It’d be nice to see them again.”
