Pizza Bruno closes Nov. 7 as Pacchioni's takes over College Park space

Pizza Bruno will serve its last tomato pie on Saturday, Nov. 7, ending a three-and-a-half-year run in College Park. Owner Bruno Zacchini is closing the restaurant to focus on his original location at Curry Ford. He plans to use the time to improve the menu and operations at that site.

Zacchini cited personal issues and the high cost of running a second location inside the Maitland Social as reasons for the closure. He noted that delivery fees also reduced the profitability of the College Park store. “They really outweighed the benefits,” Zacchini said. “There were lots of lessons learned in the past few years. Painful, but I learned a lot!”

The space will be handed over to Daniel Pacchioni, who operates Pacchioni’s World-Inspired Cheesesteaks, now rebranded as Pacchioni’s Cheesesteaks & Pizza. Pacchioni, along with business partners Yeosh Bendayan and Jon Ruhff, will reopen the store in early December. The new menu will feature a “fusion of a few styles” of pizza rather than the Jersey-style pies previously served.

Pacchioni’s team will also offer new versions of their mobile cheesesteaks, including fresh-baked rolls instead of frozen bread. The menu, developed with chef Michael Collantes, includes items such as The O.G., a classic Philly-style steak with Cheez Whiz and provolone, and The K-Drama, which features bulgogi glaze and kimchi. Other options include The Island Spice with Jamaican jerk seasoning and The Truffle Trésor with truffle oil and borsin cheese.

Zacchini chose Pacchioni’s team because of their passion and the specific appeal of their cheesesteaks. “It became really clear that if I was going to sell, I was going to sell to them and only them because of what they’ll bring to the neighborhood,” Zacchini said. He described the decision as a no-brainer given their dedication to the food.

The Pacchioni’s food truck will be closed during the transition period to allow the team to focus on the new store opening. The truck will return to the Holiday Milk Mart on Dec. 20 and will begin hosting pop-up events in January. Pacchioni said the team is grateful for Zacchini’s mentorship and support during the handoff.

Pacchioni’s has built a following through appearances at local food events including Tasty Takeover, Faire of the Dog, and GB’s Bottle Shop. The new College Park location will also serve loaded Expedition Fries alongside the main menu items.