Angelo’s can’t stop opening new locations. Next up: Delaware.
Angelo's Pizzeria and the operator of the DE.CO Food Hall confirm that Angelo's will open in Wilmington. This location will be missing something, however.
For four months, a banner bearing the logo of Angelo’s Pizzeria and the words “Coming soon, from Philly with love” has hung over the DE.CO Food Hall in the Du Pont Building in downtown Wilmington.
On Tuesday, DE.CO operator Pino DiMeo and Angelo’s owner Danny DiGiampietro confirmed to The Inquirer that a version of Angelo’s — serving cheesesteaks and hoagies but not pizza — will open at DE.CO in early September. Angelo’s will replace the shuttered Stu & Sammy’s Delicatessen in the food hall, whose other stalls include Mediterranean food, Mexican food, sushi, pizza, and coffee.
The news comes days after DiGiampietro announced a future location in South Jersey. Combined with his original location in South Philadelphia, his delivery kitchen in North Philadelphia, and his bread bakery and future shop in Conshohocken, it’s safe to say that Angelo’s will have a true tristate presence. Not to mention that DiGiampietro also is a partner in Uncle Gus’ Steaks at Reading Terminal Market and Danny & Coop’s, a sandwich shop in New York.
DiMeo, his son, Antimo, and their business partner, Scott Stein, said they initiated the Wilmington deal by reaching out to DiGiampietro, who said he is a fan of their restaurants, such as Bardea Food & Drink, Bardea Steak, and Bardea Garden. Besides the food hall, they operate Casa Nonna, an Italian American restaurant. “It’s just amazing the thought, talent, and passion that go into what they do,” DiGiampietro said.
The food hall’s existing pizzeria explains why Angelo’s pizza will not be offered at the Wilmington location, at least initially.
Because of space, DiGiampietro said, the rolls will not be baked on premises, as they are at other locations. DiGiampietro said rolls would be trucked to Wilmington at least twice a day from Angelo’s bakery in Conshohocken, a nearly one-hour jaunt down I-476 and I-95. Initially, the cutlet, pork, and beef sandwiches won’t be offered, either.
Workers from Bardea have been training with Angelo’s staff at the South Philadelphia shop.
“This is going to be fun,” said DiGiampietro, who insists that he is not trying to build an empire. “We’re just having fun. Who the hell knows where it’s going to go?”