Frank Buono didn’t always see himself owning his family’s restaurant — but he came around to the idea in college.

“The last thing I wanted to do was go into the family business,” says Frank, now Buono’s Pizzeria’s general manager. “But I was just going to school for the sake of school, and then the restaurant space on Willow Street [in Long Beach] went on the market.”

Seeing an opportunity to expand the restaurant, Frank had a change of heart. With his family’s support, he spearheaded Buono’s first venture out of San Pedro. The rest was history. “My dad let me fly, and I took charge of the family business. My brother George and I were responsible for its growth.”

In the following years, Frank and his family grew what started as a small deli into a restaurant that now boasts locations in San Pedro and Long Beach. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in November 2023, selling slices of pizza for just 50 cents a pop. But despite their recent milestone, success wasn’t always on the menu at Buono’s — in fact, the restaurant was born out of the family’s struggle as a grocer and deli.

In 1965, Frank’s grandparents opened Buono’s Italian Market and Deli on 15th and Gaffey, with Frank and his parents joining them two years later after moving from Italy to San Pedro. Despite being bakers by trade, the store wasn’t doing well — their grocery sales lagged far behind their deli sales and dragged down business. The Buonos decided they needed to adapt and took their strong deli sales as a sign to return to their roots.

Hilario Ruiz, George Buono, Nicolaniello Buono, and Frank Buono at Buono’s Pizzeria in San Pedro, circa 1980. (photo: Buono family)

“One of the reasons my dad decided to turn the grocery store and bakery into a pizza place was because we knew how to make dough,” says Frank. “Really magnificent and wonderful dough.”

The family soon pivoted, becoming Buono’s Pizzeria in 1973. Young Frank held two roles at the restaurant, serving as both an English-to-Italian translator who liaised between his family and their customers and as a novice dough maker guided by masters of the craft.

Business was booming by the time Frank was in college, and he’d grown to hold more responsibilities in the kitchen, from making pizzas to sauces. Eventually he came to love what he did, and he’s led the business out of passion since expanding the restaurant to Willow Street in 1980. “I really enjoy what I do. It’s just the best when people come in and say, ‘God, we had your pizza last night, and it was the greatest,’” he says. “That’s a greater success than the financial success, and it feels good.”

Today, Buono’s Pizzeria has two locations in Long Beach in addition to their restaurant in San Pedro. However, their San Pedro location is no longer at its original site on 15th and Gaffey but instead is located in the heart of downtown on Sixth and S. Centre.

Despite the decades of history at their original spot, Frank didn’t find the move especially difficult — they had long outgrown the modest space on the busy street, where customers often circled the block to locate a parking spot. Their restaurant now features a spacious, modern interior with room for plenty of guests and a wraparound porch for alfresco dining. It’s also in the heart of San Pedro’s newest cultural district, Little Italy, where Buono’s was the first business to open in 2019.

Their menu, like their location, has also changed over the years. It’s frequently updated with a new “Pizza of the Month,” which is often an experimental pie dreamed up by Frank and his staff. Past pizzas have included a Thanksgiving pizza — topped with turkey, of course — and a hamburger pizza, and they’ve even tested the waters with a dessert pie dressed with chocolate and cherries.

Frank Buono behind the counter on the last day at the Gaffey Street location in 2019. (photo: Buono family)

For inspiration, Frank and his crew look to both the past and present. “It’s either a recipe that we have in recipe books from years past, or the chefs and managers come up with their own creations,” Frank explains. If a pizza becomes popular enough, it might even become a mainstay — one example being the Pizza Giorgio, which is topped with Mediterranean vegetables, including eggplant, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Still, the Buonos hold their traditions close to home. Their meat sauce is the same recipe from their original deli, and they prepare their eggplant parmigiana in the Italian style by slicing their eggplant thin and only using spices like oregano and basil. Keeping tradition in mind, Frank recommends that first-time customers try one of the classics, such as the lasagna or pasta with meat sauce, while he prefers the most timeless dish of them all. “I happen to love the plain cheese pizza with a thin crust that’s slightly burnt. The kind of crust you couldn’t sell,” he laughs. His preference speaks to a core tenet of Buono’s philosophy: When the ingredients are fresh and the basics mastered, great food is made with just a few simple components.

It’s no surprise, then, that the family’s future plans are simply to keep doing what they do best — serving homestyle Italian fare to the communities of San Pedro and Long Beach.

Reflecting on Buono’s greatest successes over the past 50 years, Frank believes making it to that milestone in his hometown is a marvel. “The biggest success is to have been able to stay in business for 50 years and still be here,” he says. “To have had generations of customers come in with their kids, and then their grandkids, and even their great grandkids — it’s just incredible.” spt

Buono’s Pizzeria is located at 222 W. 6th Street R-1 in Downtown San Pedro. For more info, call (310) 547-0655 or visit buonospizza.com.