Juliana's, Grimaldi's Pizza Wars Kind Of Resolved
Well it looks like the pizza wars are legally over (for now, that is); a Queens judge ruled that Patsy Grimaldi's new Dumbo pizzeria, Juliana's, has the right to open just a block away from Grimaldi's.
Juliana's, which opened at the original Grimaldi's location on Front Street, is the new pizza child of legendary pizza maker Patsy Grimaldi, who started the original Grimaldi's but sold it to Frank Ciolli in 1998 for $500,000. Last year, Ciolli's lease was not renewed at the original location, so he moved the Grimaldi's pizzeria to a former bank building next door.
In September, Ciolli sued Grimaldi, saying Grimaldi violated a non-compete clause by coming out of retirement and opening Juliana's next door to Grimaldi's. Queens County Supreme Court Justice Augustus Agate ruled against the lawsuit, however, saying, "There is no proof that [Grimaldi] took any... steps to actively solicit any of the plaintiff's customers." Instead, it is merely "healthy competition."
New York Daily News reports that Ciolli will continue to fight in court, as the case is still pending.