February 22, 2018

Meet Michael Merendino of Crust Restaurants in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Chandler

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Merendino.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Michael. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started working in my father’s pizzeria on Long Island at the age of 13 and have worked every job in the industry. I moved out to AZ in 2002 and in 2007 I opened Crust in Scottsdale. We have expanded when we were not ready and have learned so much from our mistakes. However by keeping the same focus of doing what it takes and always keeping our guests happy by serving authentic East Coast food we have been able to take next steps as a Restaurant Group

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
NO!

So many bumps but we learn from each one. Obviously employees are the hardest, but the truth is when you understand how to really treat them correctly and set them up for success it makes things so much easier. Your TEAM is your everything and staying positive is essential

Crust Restaurants – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a neighborhood East Coast Italian Eatery that specializes in Pizza. We are authentic NY style and our menu and service is comfortable and fun. The East Coast thing really means that we make everything homemade, we serve lots of food and we are serious about our product that we put out to our guests.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Opening up our Chandler location has put us on the map. It has taking us from a small company to a bigger one quickly. Also opening a Cocktail bar in the basement of the same location has really turned Crust into a Restaurant Group

Contact Info:

Website: www.crustrestaurants.com

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.