Loyal Kensington Resident Bennie Shakiri Opens Beverley Pizza
Second-generation Kensington resident Bennie Shakiri has been working in pizza since he was 13. He recently turned 23 and put his decade of experience to work by opening Beverley Pizza & Cafe at 358 East 2nd Street, just off of Beverley Road, this past May.
A Kensington Family
“I love everything about Kensington,” Bennie said when asked what he liked best about our neighborhood. “I was born and raised on this block. I’ll never leave.” Indeed, Bennie’s extended family lives up and down East 2nd Street; he rents space for Beverley Pizza from his father.
While I was in Beverley Pizza, Bennie’s mother and sister stopped by to say hello. “I’ve been here since 1972,” said Mrs. Shakiri. “I love it here. I feel safe here and I know everybody.” As if to validate her observation, a neighbor walked up and gave Mrs. Shakiri a big hug.
It’s only natural Bennie would deepen the Shakiri family roots in Kensington with his new bride, Abby. Together, Abby and Bennie tend to their vegetable garden, peach tree, restaurant, and eventually, hopefully, children.
Schooled in Kensington
Mrs. Shakiri’s list Kensington’s bountiful resources included the schools. Mrs. Shakiri went to PS 230 and sent Bennie and his sister to PS 107.
Bennie continued his education in Bay Ridge at Fort Hamilton High School then at the College of Staten Island. While getting a formal education, he simultaneously got his practical education working at pizzerias.
“My uncle taught me everything I know about pizza,” Bennie said. “My uncle used to work at Korner Pizza.”
In addition to learning from his uncle, Bennie has apprenticed in pizza parlors from Bay Ridge to New Jersey. He also took time to learn the bakery business by working in Italian pastry shops. It was a natural progression that Bennie would open up a pizzeria in his home neighborhood.
All Roads Lead Back to Kensington
Bennie is completely loyal to Kensington, but he also enjoys traveling. He and Abby recently returned from a trip that included Turkey and his ancestral country, Albania. (Bennie speaks Albanian with his grandmother, who yes, now lives in Kensington.)
When asked if he researched pizza while traveling in Europe, Bennie pointed to his pizza at Beverley and said proudly, “This is New York pizza. Pizza in Europe is different. What I make, it’s New York pizza.”
Beverley Pizza & Cafe is located at 358 East 2nd Street, near Beverley Road. Free delivery, $8 minimum. It’s open 7 days a week, 11am-11pm. Phone: 718-431-0222 or 718-431-0223.