A New York City staple is balancing new menu items without giving up on their traditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lombardi’s originally opened in 1897 as an Italian grocery store in Little Italy. The owner, Gennaro Lombardi, became known for the pizzas that he made that by 1905 the store shifted gears and became the first pizzeria in the United States.

“At the time, a lot of Italians lived in Little Italy and would work in factories in SoHo,” said John Brescio, former owner of Lombardi’s. “Back then, Lombardi’s was open 23 hours a day. Workers would come in a get pizza wrapped in brown paper bag and then heat it up at work.”