Salerno's Closes To Redo Takeout Setup; Donates Pizza To Hospital

STRATFORD, CT — Carlo Salerno recently decided to do what he does best to support healthcare workers battling the new coronavirus outbreak — “and that’s bake pizzas.”

Salerno owns Salerno’s Apizza in Stratford, which is temporarily closed but on March 31 donated 120 large cheese pizzas to the staff at Bridgeport Hospital. Salerno’s gave 60 pies to the morning shift and another 60 to the evening crew — enough to feed everyone on duty.

“I just got overwhelmed by seeing the condition of the nurses and the doctors that were just working day and night,” said Salerno, a Bethany resident. “… It’s the least that I could do is to feed them.”

As of Tuesday, there were 613 new coronavirus patients hospitalized in Fairfield County. The county had 4,136 confirmed cases of the virus as of Tuesday — more than half the state total — and 132 deaths.

Salerno’s Temporarily Closes Takeout, Delivery Service

Salerno's announced Tuesday that it would temporarily stop all restaurant services in order to redesign and organize the kitchen and create a takeout system that would, “keep everyone safe and fed,” according to a Facebook post from the business.

Despite a state order requiring restaurant owners to shutter their physical locations as a precaution against transmission of the virus, Salerno said last week his eatery was doing a “healthy business” in takeout and delivery, which is permitted.

After more than 70 years in operation, Salerno said he had no intention of permanently closing the Barnum Avenue restaurant, which he said had been “churning out food” despite the challenges presented by the virus.

“We’ve been very busy,” he said.

The Facebook post referred to the closure as a “short break” and assured customers the restaurant would “be right back.”

For updates on the status of Salerno’s, visit www.facebook.com/Salernos-in-Stratford-266764694853/.