As far as pizza goes in Orlando, Florida, the NYPD Pizzeria on Universal Boulevard owned by franchisee Jeff Longo is No. 1—at least according to TripAdvisor in its recent list of best pizza restaurants in Orlando.
NYPD was also ranked 24 out of 2,882 restaurants overall in Orlando.
“You can’t achieve that unless you’re truly doing something right,” says Paul Russo, CEO and president. “What this really says is that thousands of people from cities and countries all over the world think of us as the absolute tastiest, freshest, and most authentic New York pizza in Orlando. I’m very thrilled with this ranking from Trip Advisor.”
TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel website, offering consumers a chance to rate and review their experiences with hotels, restaurants, airlines, and more. NYPD’s top ranking was based on customer's feedback on food, service, value, and atmosphere.
“Our passion is pleasing our customers,” Russo says. “Everything we do at NYPD—from our décor, service, and atmosphere—is done for the sake of our customers and delivering the best pizza experience anywhere. We work hard to create an atmosphere where our guests love the food and love coming back.”
A native New Yorker, Russo created the restaurant when he saw a need for authentic New York–style pizza worldwide. The first NYPD Pizza location opened its doors in Orlando in 1996 and quickly expanded to several stores throughout Florida.
Russo says he’s very proud of the success of the Universal Boulevard franchise location and the ongoing vision of his franchise to deliver an award-winning, authentic New York–style pizza available anywhere.
“We just want to make people happy, whatever it takes,” Russo says. “That’s what our pizza is about—and the real secret to our success. If our customers are happy, then we’re happy.”
NYPD’s menu features New York–style pizzas made with NYPD Pizzeria's own pizza dough, 100 percent Mozzarella cheese, 100 percent olive oil and its own specially spiced tomato sauce, finished with fresh toppings, and baked in NYPD Pizzeria's own special brick oven.
Additional menu items include appetizers, fresh salads, cheesy calzones, traditional pasta dishes, speciality hot hero sandwiches, and a full line of desserts. NYPD also offers a large variety of full-service options, including dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering services.
