Frank Pepe's Lights Coal Oven For Burlington Location

BURLINGTON, MA — Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana moved a step closer to opening its location in the Burlington Mall Tuesday. Officials from the pizza chain were on hand for the official lighting of the restaurant's coal-fired oven. The restaurant is scheduled to open in June.

The process of lighting and calibrating the oven takes three to four weeks, according to Gary Bimonte co-owner and grandson of Frank Pepe.

"The coal-fired oven is a critical element in the build out of every Pepe’s restaurant. It actually takes about 10 weeks to build and is modeled after a blueprint of the original oven in New Haven Pepe’s location, which opened in New Haven back in 1925," Bimonte said. "The oven needs to heat up for several weeks before pizza can be cooked and served from it."

The Burlington location will be Frank Pepe's second in greater Boston. The original Pepe's, which claims to serve the best pizza in the country, opened in New Haven 1925 and billboards advertising that location are familiar to anyone who has driven the Boston-to-New York City run. The chain now has 10 locations, most of which are in Connecticut. In 2017, the Daily Mail awarded Frank Pepe's its Best Pizza In The Country accolade.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).