Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Norton.
Hi Gregory, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Greg is the nephew & godson of Dominic DeMarco. Dom opened Di Fara Pizza in 1965 in Brooklyn, NY, and has been recognized by many publications as being the best pizza in NY. Greg and his wife Valerie moved to Cary NC seven years ago.
We chose Cary because it is known as a great place to raise a family. Greg was a union carpenter in NY & Valerie is an educator. Once we moved here one thing we missed other than family is the pizza. We just could not find pizza that was a good as home. Everyone knows that NY has the best pizza due to the water. We decided to partner with Greg’s cousin, Micahel Angelo De Marco, Dom’s son, and open a Di Fara Pizza with a tavern twist.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our first struggle was scouting & finding a location. We first settled on a location in Apex & had a rough time with the landlord even before renovations. We knew that was not a good fit so we continued the search.
Once we found and loved our location in Downtown Cary it was time for construction. Steve Hall Architecture was an amazing partner for us during the building phase. It was a 2-years process to renovate, including selecting & installing the oven, leaky roof, new air conditioning units, & more. We paused renovations for about 6 months during the height of COVID-19 but still had to pay rent.
We’ve been impressed with Di Fara Pizza Tavern, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We specialize in Brooklyn-style thin crust pizza with the best of the best imported ingredients. We use the NY WaterMaker to replicate NY water.
- Our sauce is made fresh multiple times a day.
- Our toppings are cut fresh multiple times a day. Never frozen. We don’t even have a freezer.
- We have a full bar with specialty cocktails, local craft beer, domestic beer, & a large selection of wine.
- We have 3 large screen out door televisions just in time for football season
- We offer online ordering, over the phone order, dine in & take out
- We have outdoor dining & space available for large parties.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
Opening a restaurant in a pandemic is a huge risk.
Pricing:
- Regular 18″ pizza $24.99
- Square Pizza $29.99
- Specialty Cocktails $10
- Pizza By the Slice- $3.99
- Family Size Calzone $28.99
Contact Info:
- Email: info@difarapizzatavern.com
- Website: www.difarapizzatavern.com
- Instagram: @difarapizzatavern
- Facebook: @difarapizzatavern
- Twitter: @DiFaraTavernNC
Image Credits
EK Digital Media Foodies
