Prince Street Pizza Replicates NYC Water to Preserve Authentic Flavor in Nationwide Expansion
Key Takeaways
- •Prince Street Pizza has expanded from its original SoHo location to roughly 20 outlets across the U.S. and Canada.
- •The company uses a specialized water filtration system to replicate New York City water at locations outside the city, ensuring consistent dough quality.
- •CEO Lawrence Longo is selectively partnering with top operators nationwide with the goal of making Prince Street the country's leading Sicilian pizza brand.
- •The brand has diversified beyond restaurants into media ventures, including a video series and entertainment partnerships such as a Clio Award-winning collaboration with Disney.
- •Despite its growth and celebrity following, the company maintains that all customers receive the same treatment regardless of their status.
Prince Street Pizza, a New York City-born brand with a cult following that includes some of Hollywood's biggest names, says the key to taking its famous slices nationwide is staying true to the original.
The company has expanded from its original SoHo shop to roughly 20 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Lawrence Longo, CEO of parent company Best Buddy Hospitality, attributes that growth to strong demand and a relentless focus on product quality. The expansion comes as pizza remains one of the largest and most competitive segments of the U.S. restaurant industry, where chain operators increasingly compete on product differentiation and brand identity.
"I think it's important to stay close to the principles that made it special in the first place," Longo told FOX Business. "And that comes down to the quality of the product."
That commitment extends to the dough. Prince Street uses a New York WaterMaker system to replicate the characteristics of New York City water at its locations outside the Big Apple. New York City's water, drawn from protected upstate reservoirs, has long been credited by bakers and pizzeria operators for its role in the texture and flavor of the city's pizza and bagels. "Every time we sign a new lease, we get the water from that city, and we send it to the lab, and they create a filtration system that turns our water into New York City water," Longo explained.
The goal, he said, is to make each location feel as close as possible to the original Prince Street shop. "The idea is that when you walk into a Prince Street Pizza, you should feel like you walked into a pizzeria in New York City."
Known for its Sicilian-style square pies and pepperoni-loaded slices, Prince Street sees considerable room for further expansion. "Sicilian-style pizza hasn't been really done right at scale across America," Longo said.
The brand has attracted a long list of celebrity fans, including Adam Sandler, who Longo said has visited locations in New York, Malibu, and West Hollywood. Still, famous customers do not receive special treatment. "Whether you're a celebrity or just a regular customer, we love everybody," he said.
Prince Street is now focused on building a larger national footprint. Longo said he is "handpicking some of the best operators around America" with the goal of becoming the country's leading Sicilian pizza brand.
The company is also expanding beyond restaurants. Longo created "Delivering Happiness," a video series starring actor Nick Turturro as a pizza delivery driver visiting guests including Dana White, Alex Rodriguez, Bert Kreischer, and Ice-T. The project has since expanded through TikTok Radio and iHeartMedia.
"We're becoming a media company in a way," Longo said.
Prince Street has also leaned into entertainment partnerships, including a Disney collaboration that recreated Little Nero's Pizza from "Home Alone" at select locations. The campaign earned a Clio Award.
Despite those new ventures, Longo said Prince Street's growth strategy comes back to staying true to what made the original SoHo shop successful.
"How do you scale a cult brand?" he said. "You really stay true to what made it successful in the first place."
