Gosnear sees bright future for Grotto Pizza

Jeff Gosnear, vice president of Grotto Pizza, is no stranger to the beach. He grew up in southern New Jersey, the youngest of five children, and loved spending his summers at the shore. His father died when he was only 12 years old, and his strong work ethic was influenced by his mother. A single mom, she was also a beauty shop operator, and eventually owned several beauty shops located inside nursing homes. “I learned early on there was an expectation in the family that everyone was expected not just to work, but to work hard,” said Jeff. 

While in high school,  Jeff got his first taste of the food industry working at Lamberti Restaurant in southern New Jersey. He enjoyed the action and the people in the restaurant business, and decided that is where he wanted to start his career. After graduating from Drexel University with a degree in finance/economics, Gosnear was offered a position at Lamberti Restaurant as finance and operations director, and in the next six years, he helped the company open 14 additional stores. Although he enjoyed a high level of success there, he developed a curiosity for how other restaurants operated. As a result, he took a position in the hospitality consulting industry where he was able to work in a variety of different restaurants and hotels, and observe both the good and the bad from other operators. After starting his own consulting business, he was introduced to Grotto Pizza, and he ultimately left his business to join Grotto as chief financial officer.  

For Jeff and his family, there was another reason to consider moving to Rehoboth Beach. In 1999, his sister-in-law was murdered in New Jersey. Her death was devastating to her tight-knit family, and caused Jeff and his wife to rethink how and where they wanted to live. Their household became multigenerational, and Rehoboth Beach became the ideal place to raise their family.

While working at Grotto, Jeff was recruited away by another business and spent a few years running two different companies. In 2009, the longtime Grotto VP retired, and Gosnear was recruited to come back to Grotto in that position. Using his extensive knowledge of the restaurant business, Jeff worked with Dominick Pulieri, Grotto Pizza founder, to help continue the growth that was already taking place. As Jeff noted, “Dominick realized the brand recognition of Grotto Pizza at the beach and understood Grotto had become a family tradition for many. He looked to expand in markets outside the beach area, because he thought people would seek out a taste of the beach even when they weren’t on vacation.” With Pulieri’s strong emphasis on customer service fueling the growth, Grotto Pizza now has 23 locations in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, including a number of restaurants outside the beach area. 

While Grotto has grown and expanded beyond its initial beach location, Gosnear emphasized the connection with local communities is key. “We are one of the few restaurant companies that serve most communities in Delaware, and we are usually among the first of the businesses to come to the aid of people, families and other businesses in times of need or tragedy,” he said. “Whether it’s our employees volunteering their time, Grotto giving money to specific causes, or donating pizzas to help raise money, we make sure to emphasize our connection with the community in every one of our locations.”

The pandemic was particularly devastating for the restaurant industry. “No doubt, it has been the greatest challenge we have faced in my time at Grotto,” Gosnear said. “We really had to reinvent ourselves after the restaurants were first shut down.” In addition, COVID required Grotto to re-evaluate its hygiene and safety protocols. “We developed new processes for minimizing the handling of product and sealing boxes when food was prepared, and we created more space for customers inside our restaurants when they opened back up. Lastly, if any employee tested positive for COVID, we initially shut down the restaurant completely for two days and disinfected all surfaces.” While representing his greatest challenge, this is also something Jeff points to with great pride. “With how our team handled the pandemic, its unpredictability and uncertainty, I have no doubt we are prepared to handle any challenge that might come our way,” he said.

Jeff Gosnear sees a bright future for Grotto. “Over the next 10 years, we hope to add one to two new stores each year, eventually growing to a total of 40 restaurants, while renovating our existing locations. We will continue Grotto’s ongoing evolution from its roots as a beach pizzeria to a casual dining restaurant and sports bar focusing on pizza.”