V & S Pizzeria Celebrates 30 Years Of Success In Sheepshead Bay

It’s been 30 years since Joe Scola teamed up with his business partner Dominick Gueli to purchase V & S Pizzeria from the original owners, Vinny and Sal (From whom the restaurant gets its namesake). Since that time, the business has relocated to another storefront on Emmons Avenue, survived the onslaught of Superstorm Sandy, and established itself as a neighborhood favorite for Italian cuisine.

Gueli has since retired, and Scola brought in friend from Bensonhurst, Joe Faiello, to buy into the business and help run the store.

Scola, also a Bensonhurst native, said he learned how to make a great pie during his youth, when he worked at a friend’s pizzeria in Canarsie and later, his family’s restaurant in Naples, Italy.

It was a tough start when they first took over the business, he said. As a strictly pizza and soda joint, things started out slow. But they were amazed by how quickly the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood embraced their simplistic but authentic Italian counter. Eventually, they expanded their menu and introduced, alongside their famous pizza, a diverse variety of big-portioned dishes.

The business, however, was put to the test after Superstorm Sandy. The pair said they were prepared to abandon the shop after a seven-month hiatus, caused by a lack of help from the FEMA. But encouragement from dedicated patrons persuaded them to take on the tough but rewarding task of rebuilding their beloved restaurant.

When asked how they have managed to stay in business for so many years, Joe Faiello had only one word to use: Trust. Their partnership, he went on to say “is like a marriage; that’s the best way to explain it. It comes with time and compromise.”

As the decades have passed, the restaurant has adapted to cater to the changing times and rising culturally diversity of the Sheepshead neighborhood, such as adding different vegetarian options to their menu. But the one thing that has remained constant is their relationship to their customers. They joke that the atmosphere at their restaurant is a little like the 80s show Cheers, where every customer is on a first-name basis with the staff and locals can gather to enjoy good food and company,

More than just their legacy, however, V & S has become Scola’s and Faiello’s home away from home. They said the devotion to their food and business, as well as support from the community, is what has helped them prosper and persevere for so many years.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated who founded V & S Pizzeria. It has since been corrected.