Square Pizza Is Going To The Beach As Santucci’s Plans Jersey Shore Location

Iconic Philly purveyors of square pizza Santucci’s are expanding into New Jersey for the first time, with a location in the works for the Jersey Shore.

According to local outlet Shore News Today, Santucci’s Original Square Pizza owner Blake Barabuscio has put in an offer for a liquor license in Ventnor City, a stone’s throw from the casinos of Atlantic City. He told the publication that he’s planning to open the fourth Santucci’s in a space that is currently a hardware store on Ventnor Avenue, just two blocks from the boardwalk.

But don’t expect to be taking square pies to the beach this summer — it’s early days, as the city’s board of commissioners only voted on the bid on Thursday (May 24) — Barabuscio estimated that it should open next spring.

Unlike the original Italian Market Santucci’s, the Ventnor City one will not be a BYOB establishment — it will serve alcohol, and appears to be the first such alcohol permit granted to a restaurant in the municipality, after a 2016 vote allowed the beachside city to grant those permits (various other restaurants around allow BYOB).

Correction: an earlier version of this story suggested that hardware store Arrow had closed — it is still open.

• All Santucci’s Original Square Pizza coverage [EPHL]
• Ventnor sells liquor license to Philadelphia pizza restaurateur [Shore News Today]