Valeria Guelman

Several months ago I was greeted at Moroni and Brothers Pizza with a Hola. Como está? Bienvenida!  "Wait,” I thought, “isn’t this an Italian brick oven pizza shop?”  I was puzzled by the unusual mix of gourmet pizza and Salvadorian specialties, reggaton blaring from the kitchen and a jumble of paintings, prints and framed magazine cut outs on the walls.  “The pizza is awesome, but they need some change," I said to myself.

Since then, Moroni and Brothers Pizza has become a model for community input as its neighbors helped create a new texture and feel for the restaurant. The fusion of cultures which our neighborhood has become, including long-time residents, recently-arrived young professionals, and a growing Hispanic population is looking for eateries with good food at reasonable prices, interesting music, and an overall cool vibe.

When Denis and Reyna Velasquez opened Moroni and Brothers Pizza in August 2007, they sensed something lacking even though their signature pizzas attracted a local crowd. In search of advice on how to market their new restaurant and encourage patrons to stay for dinner, they came to the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC).  The challenge LEDC identified was to find a way to unify the special mix that makes Moroni and Brothers Pizza unique.  

LEDC first solicited advice and help from local residents through the PetworthNews blog. The community responded with great enthusiasm and had lots of great suggestions including new paint colors for the walls, music for the juke box, and one resident plans to exhibit his photographs of the community at the restaurant. It was exciting to see local residents collaborating with business owners to create a place the community wants to patronize and that entrepreneurs want to develop.  We hope this synergistic relationship will serve as a model for other similar enterprises in our neighborhood.

Moroni and Brothers Pizza had its grand reopening in February 2008.  In addition to the outstanding thin crust pizza, it showed off its improved ambiance in its altered interior.  Moroni 's also offers a selection of Italian wines, German and Salvadorian beers, and espresso beverages. Please come and join your neighbors as we celebrate the reinvention of a true community restaurant.

Moroni & Brothers

4811 Georgia Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20010
Phone: 202.829.2090

Valeria Guelman

Latino Economic Development Corporation

LEDC Façade Improvement Project

Tel: 202-588-5102 ext. 44 

vguelman@ledcdc.org

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