Zio Gio Thrives Months After Opening

Chef Dave DeMarco and his team at Zio Gio in Levittown have only a few feet to make magic happen.

They don’t complain, however. The cooks work at two lines at the new, fast-casual eatery that mixes the flare of a food cart with the quality of a homemade meal and the modern conveniences of a state-of-the-art facility.

While the cooking process may somewhat compare to a fast food joint, most of the items served in the eatery are cooked fresh.

“We cook it fast and we cook it right,” the chef said.

DeMarco proudly showed off the ovens where the sandwich rolls are baked in, meats are cooked in and fresh basil used to season the french fries are dehydrated. A few steps away, brand new equipment keeps pork and beef ready for customers who ordered just a short time ago.

The latest equipment and a well-trained staff help Zio Gio’s serve Mediterranean fare and tasty cheesesteaks to customers in the seating area or in its drive-thru, according to its owners and staff. The eatery features everything from vegan entrees to hand-rolled meatballs based on one of the owner’s family recipes. One of the newest items on the menu is a Zinini – a mix of a panini and wrap that are built for drive-thru customers. As an added bonus, Zio Gio offers numerous pairings, many featuring the signature meatballs and sauces.

The concept for Zio Gio came from Philadelphia-area natives John Marsella and Jim Nasuti, who are business partners and operate dozens of franchise fast food restaurants throughout the region.

The Levittown store, which is in Bristol Township, is successful and thriving, according to its owners.

Zio Gio is their first foray into an original concept, according to Marsella, who is also known as Zio Gio. He said Zio Gio hopes to open its second location in Upper Southampton by the end of 2015.

“I grew up around Philadelphia’s Italian Market and nothing was better than South Philly food,” Marsella said. “We all crave that food – the authentic flavors and all the memories it evokes – and now you can have it anytime and with the speed and convenience of a drive thru.”

Marsella said he wants the customers to feel like family and be welcomed to the eatery. On the day LevittownNow.com visited, that was clear through several interactions staff had with customers. One clerk carried a bag of food to the vehicle of an older man wearing a U.S. Navy baseball cap.

After receiving a friendly welcome from the staff, customers order at the counter and a clerk enters it in a point-of-sale system. In turn, the cooks look at the order and put a print out on stickers posted to each meal’s packaging. In the future, the restaurant plans to let customers order from their mobile device and the food will be ready when they arrive,  Carl Coulter, vice president of operations for Zio Gio, said.

Working to quickly fill orders for customers has become a hallmark of the eatery that opened in December.

Marsella, known also as Uncle Johnny, said Zio Gio values the input of customers. DeMarco noted several recipes and serving portions have been beefed up following advice from customers.

“We like to hear from everybody,” Marsella said.

If you go

Zio Gio is located at 3901 Veterans Highway in Levittown.

On Monday, March 30, Zio Gio is offering birthday cake, $5 roasted pork sandwiches and free samples of water ice flavors from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in honor of Marsella’s birthday.