It’s always a great weekend when a brick-oven fired pizza from Monroe St. Brick & Brew is on the menu! This weekend is extra special, as it signifies an important milestone for the Ellicottville eatery. Owner Frank Maduri is pleased to commemorate 10 years in business this weekend, and all are invited to celebrate this feat!

It’s no secret that so much can happen over the course of 10 years, especially this past decade, which was interrupted by Covid-19. Global pandemics aside, even under normal circumstances, 10 years in business defies the odds, as government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that about 50% of restaurants are still open after five years, and only around 34.6% make it past 10 years. In short, it takes passion and a fair amount of moxie to start and grow a business, and clearly, Maduri’s got both in spades.

Maduri summed up the start of Monroe St. Brick & Brew in one word: “insanity.” Ten years ago, he’d been retired when a friend approached him with a business idea about starting a pizzeria in Ellicottville. Speaking of the location at 21 Monroe St., he recalled, “There was nothing in this building but a floor and a toilet and some false walls - it had been a laundromat. A friend of mine was a contractor, so we just started tearing things apart, and my contractor and I had a lot of ideas. We kind of put our heads together and, well, you can see what the place looks like today.” After a lot of time and money spent on the remodel, including new air and heating, the place was transformed.

During the second year of the business, Maduri and his original partner went separate ways, and he found himself quite the opposite of retired, though many aspects of his previous work experience prepared him well for owning the pizzeria. Early in his career, he managed multiple bars in Bradford, PA and lived in Las Vegas for nearly 10 years, where he worked in food and beverage. At one point in his career, Maduri was beverage director at a casino and managed 37 bartenders and approximately 70 cocktail waitresses. “It was a lot of work, but I learned so much,” he recalled. “I also learned about banquets, and so I helped open a couple of restaurants in the casino, and I also helped open a western dance hall.”

Family brought Maduri back to the Ellicottville area, and he retired from Dresser Rand, where he worked in purchasing, prior to opening the pizzeria. All was going well in the first few years, and then the pandemic hit in 2020, but Maduri is proud to have made it through such an unprecedented time. In fact, just two years ago, Monroe St. Brick and Brew earned the number one spot in Cattaraugus County on Buffalo’s 96.1 radio station’s Ultimate Pizza Trail Guide! “I think we have a pretty good reputation, a great product,” Maduri said, reflecting on the recognition.

So what sets Monroe St. Brick & Brew apart from other pizzerias? First of all, the thin-crust brick-oven pizza is top-notch and made with the best ingredients. “We don’t use any inferior products,” Maduri emphasized. “We’re all fresh: fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh chives, fresh jalapenos, fresh mushrooms. We don’t use any jars, and we don’t skimp on anything.

Second, there’s not a fryer to be found. That’s right: even the wings are brick-oven baked. “It gives them a beautiful crispness, and keeps the moisture inside so the meat falls right off the bone,” he remarked. “There will never be a fryer in this place as long as I own it.”

To celebrate 10 years in business, Maduri said all pizzas are 10% OFF this weekend (Friday through Sunday, June 26-28). He’s also promoting other local businesses, where he recently purchased multiple gift cards and will be giving them away throughout the weekend, along with Monroe St. Brick & Brew shirts. The pizzeria is open from 4:00-8:00pm Tuesday through Thursday, noon-9:00pm on Friday and Saturday, and noon-8:00pm on Sunday (closed Mondays). To learn more and view Monroe St. Brick & Brew’s menu, visit www.msbbpizza.com. For takeout orders, call 716-699-1051.