- April 22, 2024
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Watching their father work tirelessly in their family's authentic Italian restaurant left a lasting impression on brothers Frankie and Michael Terranova.
"Our dad was a real family man," said Michael, who helps his family run Terranova's Italian Restaurant. "He took care of us. We were always spending time together. He worked so hard. We wanted to provide for our families in the same way."
Just about everything on the menu is homemade. The recipes were originally crafted in the kitchen of Francesco Terranova Sr.'s childhood home in Italy. He left Italy when he was 10 and moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey, in 1971. He eventually opened his own pizzeria in Bloomfield, which he sold about 25 years ago before moving to Flagler County.
Frank Sr. bought what was an old fish market in Flagler Beach and turned it into a pizzeria. The restaurant was at that location for 15 years before the move to its current location, 208 N. State St. in Bunnell, where it's been for the past 10 years.
The brothers practically grew up in the restaurant, learning the family business from their father. They washed dishes and assembled salads as kids. When they got older, they became even more involved.
However, Frank Sr. died two years ago at the age of 55. The family strives to keep his memory alive.
"He taught us everything," Michael said. "Early on, I knew I wanted to make pizza just like him and so did my brother."
The brothers said they spend about 12-15 hours six days a week working at the restaurant.
"We watched our dad work those same hours by himself," Frankie said. "Now, we've got each other."
Like with most businesses, COVID-19 has impacted Terranova's. The restaurant was supposed to celebrate its 25th anniversary on May 10, but the celebration has since been postponed. But despite the current crisis, Terranova's has continued to receive steady business and has managed to keep most of its staff employed.
"I think that if you had an established takeout business, you were pretty much going to be OK," Frankie said. "We were blessed. We were thankful for that."
The family still plans to have the restaurant's 25th anniversary party to honor the legacy of the man who taught them everything.
"We just want to keep it going," Michael said. "We want to give back to the community because he was always so involved here."
