"It's time": Dimeo family preparing to retire from Ciro's Pizza in Verona

VERONA — Wearing a camouflaged hat, a red Ciro's Pizza t-shirt and a flour-covered apron, Tony Dimeo cuts a pizza before taking it to a customer. It's a sequence that has played out numerous time in the past four decades at the Verona restaurant tucked between Laurel Hill and Dunsmore roads, not far from the intersection of Route 11.

And while the restaurant will still be around, the Dimeos — Tony, his brother Sal and his sister-in-law Teresa — won't be making or serving the pizzas any longer after Dec. 31. The family has decided to sell the business and retire. The restaurant will be under new management starting in 2024.

"I feel so bad," Tony Dimeo said. "I wish I could stay. It's been very hard."

In 1985, Tony Dimeo was working at Ciro's in Waynesboro when the owners decided to open a new location in Verona. Dimeo became the manager of the new location and, seven months later, he bought the business from the previous owners. Sal Dimeo had come to the United States from Italy around the same time and joined his brother at the Verona Ciro's.

"We both became the boss," Tony said.

And both have been the boss ever since, making Ciro's a fixture in the Verona community. They've served countless pizzas and calzones and cheese steaks while giving many a high school student their first job.

Dimeo said one of the first teenagers to work for them after opening is now a grandfather. In many ways, he said all of those former, as well as current, employees are like his extended family.

"For me, it's not easy to sell," Dimeo said. "But it's time."

Tony is 71 and Sal is 67. Plus, Tony has had Parkinson's Disease for about 10 years.

"But I do fine," Tony said. "I mean, I can't complain, but I get tired too fast. It's time to sell. Sal is very tired. His wife (Teresa) is very tired. Plus it's hard to get new people to work for you. It's very hard, so we decided it's time."

It was about a year ago that they started discussing selling the business. Tony had hoped his nephews, Sal's kids, would one day take over, but none of them were interested in continuing in the restaurant business, he said.

Tony gets to the restaurant around 7 a.m. on the days they are open. That used to be six days a week, only closed Sundays, but as the brothers got older, and more tired, they reduced their hours, at first also closing Mondays and then also Tuesdays. Now, the business is open Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Fridays and Saturday's 10 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

Tony has also been responsible for the flowers outside of Ciro's. In October, the Augusta Garden Club recognized the restaurant with a beautification award.

"People make me feel good when they come in Ciro's and they say, 'Your flowers are beautiful,'" Dimeo said at the time. "Sometimes people stop by only to say the flowers are beautiful. It makes me feel very, very good."

The Dimeos will continue to own the building and Tony said he hasn't decided if he'll continue to maintain the flowers, but he might.

The new owners take over Jan. 1, but Dimeo said they haven's decided when they will officially open. He said the new owners also own Flying Pizza in Staunton and Mount Sidney, but he believes they will keep operating under the Ciro's name in Verona.

"I told them that Ciro's Pizza has a very good reputation," Dimeo said.

Dimeo said he loves seeing the customers, especially the regulars, and he knows that some will be disappointed. He understands. He's disappointed also, but it's just too much for him and his brother to continue.

As for the community, Tony just wanted to let them know that the Dimeo family thanks them more than they can know.

"We have appreciated your business," he said "Thank you very much. But it's time."

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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Verona's Ciro's to be under new management in 2024 as Dimeos decide to sell