Legendary Bonvini's Pizza, Which Opened In 1955, Will Soon Return To Livingston

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A search of any Livingston memories group on the internet will turn up people who remember grabbing a slice of Bonvini's Pizza, founded in 1955. There's even a "Bring Back Bonvini's" Facebook group that started in the early days of Facebook, in 2009.

"This was the best pizza EVER!" noted one group member. "Nothing compares. I grew up with it and miss it. You just can't find a 'great' pizza anymore."

The pizzeria closed around 1998, the family says. But pizza lovers who have warm feelings about those warm pies — which were available on Mount Pleasant Avenue in only "20 minutes" — will get to enjoy them again.

The shop is tentatively scheduled to return to Livingston next month, opening at 127 South Livingston Ave.

Nicholas Bonvini, the former owner of the shop, passed away in 2018. But the family is still around, and they're behind the forthcoming incarnation of the establishment.

Last week, the Bonvini's page on Facebook gave fans a bit of a tease about the taste:

"I still think about Sunday nights eating Bonvini's pizza watching Bonanza / Ed Sullivan..." wrote a fan in response to the post.

The owners told Patch this week, "It is the Bonvini family behind this. It is the original Bonvini Pizza, and yes it will be called Bonvini’s again. We are unsure of the opening but we are hoping by mid-end of October."

They added, "It is going to be where Nana's restaurant side was. Nana's Deli will still be there."

Several former patrons remembered that they'd always hear "20 minutes!" after ordering, and they always saw a pizza oven spinning around.

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