Monmouth Co. Pizzeria Named A 2020 Patch Business Of The Year

FREEHOLD, NJ - This popular pizzeria is known for much more than savory cheese pies and hearty pasta dishes.

Last year, Patch asked local readers to name their favorite spots around Monmouth County to eat, shop, play and look their best. The readers have spoken, naming Mateo’s Pizzeria & Italian Cuisine as a 2020 Patch Business of the Year for its demonstrated service and generosity to the community.

“In addition to having great food and a wonderful, welcoming staff, Mateo's has consistently helped the community throughout the pandemic. Most recently they donated 100 fresh turkeys to 100 families that stopped by who wanted/needed one for Thanksgiving. They have had ‘Give Back Tuesday’ handing out hundreds of dinners to anyone in need of a meal,” one nomination reads for the Freehold-based eatery.

“This is a fairly new business. Wonderful staff and delicious food. This small new business has done so much to give back to the community especially during this difficult time, for that they deserve a special recognition,” reads another.

Patch spoke with owner Rudy Nolasco about the community’s unwavering support during the pandemic, as well as Nolasco’s hopes for what customers get out of the restaurant.

“I hope my business is known for serving great food with great quality and great service,” said Nolasco. “I hope that my customers are satisfied after visiting my restaurant so when they walk away they look forward to coming back again for another great experience. I am so grateful for the trust and support everyone has placed in my business and I am honored for being selected as business of the year by this wonderful community. I will assure you that I will continue to do my best to give you the kind of food and service you deserve.”

The West Main Street location only opened September 2019, less than six months before the coronavirus pandemic would devastate local businesses the world over.

While Nolasco lost all dine-in customers for the better part of three months until outdoor dining reopened in June 2020, the owner recalls the incredible support that the Freehold community showed in placing takeout and delivery orders as the pandemic continued through the summer.

“This is what helped me to keep my restaurant open,” said Nolasco. “I think that we all had to learn to live and to adapt to the new reality in order to make things work - for example, we started to offer more curbside pick-ups and our online orders increased - yet our dine-in are was shut down for months, [but] we were able to manage to keep the business growing.”

Nolasco says he thanks Jeff Freeman and Dru-Anne McLane from Downtown Freehold for helping to keep Freehold local businesses afloat during this unprecedented time. Of course, the restaurateur also thanks his loyal customers for sticking by his side throughout the pandemic.

“I am very lucky to be part of this community," he said. " I could not have chosen a better town to open my business. I am very grateful for all the support I received during this pandemic. The community of Freehold has been very supportive towards my business, the people who recommend me daily with their neighbors, family and friends and on their social media has helped my business to grow in these hard times.”

For more information about Mateo’s, visit www.mateospizzafreehold.com.