Beverly's Panini Pizza Co. On Comeback Trail From Fire

BEVERLY, MA – Four weeks into the bizarre new world of the coronavirus pandemic Marco Avila thought he had found a way to make it work for Beverly's Panini Pizza Co.

The Dodge Street pizza and sandwich shop had begun to see some familiar faces coming back for takeout, and heard some familiar voices ordering delivery, as people slowly ventured out of the quarantines of March. Business was buzzing and Avila was even trying to have some fun amid the very difficult time with toilet paper giveaways on some orders and Facebook Live events where people could watch their pizza being made in real time.

"In the beginning, it was weird," Avila told Patch. "When COVID hit, everyone was trying to figure out their lives. We took a hit because everyone was just buying groceries and going crazy.

"Then we were getting really busy again. We were really cranking. Then we had a fire."

The April 10 blaze was a grease fire inside the exhaust system of the pizza oven. Avila frantically made sure all of his employees were out of the building and all gas lines were shut off. He said he endured smoke inhalation when he reentered the building to double check the best he could before all was lost.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't have my moments of breaking down," he allowed of the immediate aftermath.

Five months later, Avila is finally looking forward to the reopening of Panini Pizza Co. within the next few weeks as he puts the finishing touches on the sheet rock, paint, the new menu — which will now include boneless and bone-in chicken wings — and awaits inspections. With the help of insurance, he was able to keep full-time employees on the payroll and rebuild the shop he's owned for four years.

"We've been rebuilding for, I feel, forever," he said. "In the beginning, it was obviously a kick. As an entrepreneur, you can either cry about it or turn around, and take advantage, and make it better than it was before."

Avila said he's spent the last few weeks ratcheting up the shop's social media presence as he works through the process of permitting amid the coronavirus.

He said he knows he will be reopening in a much different landscape when it comes to customer expectations.

"Our three things have always been great customer service, great quality and great consistency," he said. "Those are three things we always had and as I've talked with my team we've talked about how those things will be more important than ever. A lot of people are afraid to leave their house. A lot of people are lost. These are people who are going to be coming to us because we are trying to make their lives easier.

"This could be our time to shine with them. If we nail it, they will be loyal and always come here."

While the small amount of counter seating the shop once had will be eliminated due to coronavirus restrictions, Avila said Panini Pizza Co. will go back to offering takeout, delivery and curbside pickup when it reopens.

He is hoping that will be in the first half of October.

"We're trying to take the negative, turn it around, rebrand and make it stronger," he said. "You don't realize the little things you miss like how much you miss your customers. The community has been great to us reaching out and checking on us this whole time.

"We're so excited and can't wait to come back."

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