New sign, old memories for Tony’s Pizzaria in Ventura

When the new Las Vegas-style neon sign at Tony’s Pizzaria in Ventura flickers on after dark, you can’t miss it.

The glowing rectangle is a tribute to co-owner Bruce Barrios’ father, Johnny “Tony” Barrios, who died in 2013. Because not many neon signs are built these days, Bruce Barrios believes it may be the largest neon sign installed in Ventura County in 2022.

“The sign was a big deal to me,” Barrios said. “We got the (business) logo redesigned, then we had the sign redesigned, then we added the neon.”

The effort marks the 63rd year in business for the downtown restaurant at 186 E. Thompson Blvd.

Most people aren’t making neon signs anymore, said Dave Tilsner of Dave’s Signs in Ventura, which built the sign. Tilsner is head of sales and design and was formerly the company’s owner.

“Neon signs are a vintage technology and most illuminated signs are now done with LED,” Tilsner said. “This is a historic-style fabrication process ― it’s all neon glass.”

The sign, installed in September, stands about 6⅟₂ feet tall and 18 feet wide. It has approximately 300 feet of neon glass tubing with blinking lights.

Barrios said the project paid tribute to his father’s love of Sin City.

“My father was a huge Vegas guy. That was his go-to,” he said, adding the Stardust Resort and Casino was one of his father’s favorite places to hang out.

Chris Jensen, a graphic designer who first worked with Bruce Barrios in 2015 to rebrand the old logo, said a lot of historic neon and lighted sign designs from the 1950s — with arrows and tracer lights — were used as inspiration.

The new neon is shaped around the original sign put up in 1945 when the location was a hamburger stand on old Highway 1, now known as Thompson Boulevard.

Johnny Barrios purchased the building with the original sign in 1963. The former owner sold it for about $25,000 when the nearby freeway was being constructed, Bruce Barrios said.

The pizza business originally opened on June 29, 1959 near the San Buenaventura Mission on Figueroa Street.

In February 2017, a plywood sign on top of the building was removed and replaced by metal and glowing neon tubes. Dave’s Signs also built that sign.

In 2019, the business celebrated its 60th year with a beer-and-wine license and a revamped patio area. Patio upgrades included lights, games and a fire pit, said Abel Nava, general manager and nephew of Johnny Barrios, who has worked at the location for 17 years.

Milestone anniversaries don’t go unnoticed. By the restaurant’s 65th anniversary, Bruce Barrios plans to put up a stage for family-friendly attractions.

The restaurant has become such a staple that many surfers talk about going to C Street and then grabbing a slice of pizza afterward, said Marlyss Auster, president and CEO of the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau.

“I always enjoy family businesses that stick around for generations,” Auster said. “I definitely remember the community in mourning when Tony passed away. I think that the reenergized Tony’s Pizzaria is…loved by many,” Auster said.

Bruce Barrios said community support has kept the pizzeria thriving. The business is known for its New York-style, hand-tossed pizzas with dough and sauce made from scratch daily.

Pizzas can take up to an hour or more to prepare, he said, but locals know to call ahead.

"That's the No. 1 question when people call: 'How long's the wait?'" Barrios said. "The locals know."

Regulars are savvy and call during the day to say they want to pick up a pizza at 7:30 that night.

"It's because we pound them out one at a time," he said.

Almost everybody who’s lived in Ventura has been to Tony’s Pizzaria at least once, he said.

"If you're a local, you've been to Tony's," Barrios said. "It's been a favorite for locals and tourists. It's just a very down-to-earth, simple pizza shack."

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: New sign, old memories for Tony's Pizzaria in Ventura