Tony’s Place Alums Pizza Popup in Unexpected Delran Spot

If you grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, there’s a good chance Tony’s Place wasn’t just somewhere you ate—it was somewhere you went. A ritual. A memory. A benchmark for what a tomato pie should be. Now, a piece of that legacy has quietly been introduced across the Tacony-Palmyra bridge.

Please note that the original family still runs Tony’s Place in Ivyland. So, if you still crave Tony’s, by all means, please go to Tony’s Place in Bucks County!

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Pace Family Pizza, which operates out of the VFW in Delran, NJ, is owned and operated by Rich and Debb Pace. Surprise: Rich worked at Tony’s Place in Mayfair for over 10 years. And today, he’s slinging pies again—just in a place you probably wouldn’t expect.

South Jersey Food Scene first reported on it over the weekend.

A Taste of Northeast Philly History

Tony’s Place in the Mayfair section of Northeast Philly wasn’t just another neighborhood bar with pizza. It was an institution.

Its roots trace back to the late 1940s, when Tony and Dominic Mallamaci opened a small corner bar in South Philly, serving simple food and early versions of what would become their signature tomato pie.

By 1951, they moved to Frankford Avenue in Mayfair, where the business grew into a multi-room, always-packed destination known for thin-crust pies—cheese on the bottom, sauce on top—and a no-frills, deeply Philly atmosphere.

For decades, Tony’s became part of the fabric of the Northeast. A place where families gathered, friends met up, and generations returned again and again. As one longtime observer put it, it was “a great corner bar that also happens to make incredible pizza.”

Even as ownership changed and the original Mayfair location eventually closed in 2022, the impact of Tony’s tomato pies never really went away.

From Mayfair to Delran

That’s where Pace Family Pizza comes in.

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For Rich and Debb Pace, natives of Northeast Philly, pizza has always been more than food—it’s their passion. Both came up through the Philly pizza scene, but Rich’s decade-plus at Tony’s Place helped shape his approach: consistency, simplicity, and respect for the craft.

After starting small out of their garage in Palmyra, the Paces found their current home inside the Delran VFW, where they now operate on weekends through a pre-order system that ensures every pie comes out hot and fresh.

And while the setting may be different, and maybe not exactly the same pizza, the influence is unmistakable.

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Carrying the Torch

At Pace Family Pizza, the menu leans into what made places like Tony’s so beloved: thin, crisp crusts, balanced sauce, and no unnecessary frills. It’s a focused lineup—eight pies, ranging from a classic tomato pie to a white with spinach and tomato—done with precision and care.

It’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s a tribute to their roots. A new favorite inspired by an old one.

Because in Philly, tomato pie isn’t just a style—it’s a language, and the Pace family is continuing the conversation.

A Familiar Feeling, Just Across the Bridge

For those who miss Tony’s Place, this isn’t a replacement—and it’s not trying to be. You’re not walking into a packed Mayfair bar with wood-paneled walls and decades of memorabilia.

But when that box opens, and you get that first look at a perfectly baked, cracker-thin pie… it might feel a little familiar.

And sometimes, that’s enough.

Because while Tony’s Place may be gone from Frankford Avenue, its influence is still very much alive—now being served out of a VFW kitchen in Delran.

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The post Tony’s Place Alums Pizza Popup in Unexpected Delran Spot appeared first on Philly Grub.