Buona Pizza to open Dunmore location

Buona Pizza locations

The owner of a Scranton pizzeria deeply rooted in tradition aims to bring new life to a Dunmore eatery while maintaining its character.

Giovanni Piccolino, owner of Buona Pizza on Lackawanna Avenue in the city, hopes to open Buona's Dunmore at the former site of Gold Crown Pizza, 634 E. Drinker St., by June 4.

Gold Crown, a staple in Dunmore for more than 60 years, closed in April 2023 and Piccolino quickly turned his attention to reviving the popular restaurant after selling DaVinci Pizza on the Square in downtown Scranton in November.

Piccolino feels the popularity of Gold Crown presents an opportunity for success.

"It's a good chance to do really good business there," he said. "I didn't realize it's literally like a cult following. If you're from Dunmore, you definitely know what it is or what it was."

Growing up around Buona Pizza, a landmark in Scranton since 1966, Piccolino recognizes the importance of carrying on the legacy of Gold Crown and plans to offer the traditional pie customers have grown to love along with Buona's New York-style variety.

Piccolino noted George Stefanski, a former owner of Gold Crown, taught him the recipe, which differs greatly from Buona's.

"It's two different kinds of really good pizza, but (Gold Crown) is night and day from ours, especially the cheese blend," he said. "For me, we're really big sticklers on mozzarella for pizza and it's not on theirs."

However, the Gold Crown pizza has been a hit among Buona customers in Scranton during a trial run, Piccolino said.

"Every time I do a little sample here, I sell out," he said.

From the start, Piccolino plans to stick to strictly pizza at the new location.

"Having two different kinds of pizza is hard enough — two different doughs, two different sauces, two different cheeses," he said. "It's a lot of work."

Dunmore Mayor Max Conway noticed the ongoing work along Drinker Street and looks forward to the opening of the new pizzeria.

"I know a lot of people, for generations, have spent time in that building through the years," he said. "I'm thrilled to see it back in use and back to being a restaurant."

Conway also appreciates that Piccolino plans to continue offering the signature recipe, which has been served for many decades.

"Dunmore is a town that really thrives on tradition," he said. "I'm happy they're going to keep a piece of that history under the new ownership."