Well, I feel as if I started off strong with this blog but it seems to have been forgotten since July. Things have been good, very busy actually, and I've been producing a fair amount of cool work so I s'pose can't much complain.
Over the past few months I've developed a new set of Wedding Invitations for a client (which will be featured in my next blog post), Donation Cards for another wedding, a poster and tri-fold brochure for Patriots' Week in Trenton (yet again, another blog post) and, of course, the exciting project that this post is dedicated to...
... the new and improved DeLorenzo's Tomato Pie's website.
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| The existing DeLorenzo's logo |
Let me preface this post by saying that I am a gigantic fan of DeLorenzo's tomato pies. I've been enjoying their pizza for as long as I can remember and I've honestly never tasted a better pie and I am 100% certain I never will. This was one of the many reasons this was such a kick-ass project for me to work on. Client projects aren't always easy to be excited for yet I probably couldn't have been more excited for this project if I had tried. As a self-proclaimed pizza "expert", I am a tried and true fan of Hamilton Avenue. From the superior tomato sauce and overall flavor of the pie to the ultra-friendly wait staff to the family-like atmosphere of the restaurant, Hamilton Avenue makes a significantly better pie. After all, it's Zagat Rated for a reason.
Serving their own, signature brand of "Trenton-Style" Tomato Pie since 1938, DeLorenzo's Pizza is a staple in the City of Trenton and the outlying areas. Having two locations only a mile or so from each other, many debates run rampant within the city... Are you a fan of Hudson Street or do you prefer Hamilton Avenue? You'd be hard pressed not to find someone who has an opinion on the matter. Heated arguments over the best pie in Trenton happen frequently with most people choosing a specific pizza joint from their neighborhood but most of the people you will talk to all agree, Delo's of Hamilton Avenue is head and shoulders above the rest. In Trenton, DeLorenzo's holds almost an iconic status. It's storied history, out-of-this-world tomato pie and incredibly friendly atmosphere all combine to make this the best pizza you'll ever have. This much I promise you.
Although I'm a lifelong fan of their pizza, I first met Rick DeLorenzo last year when I was enjoying a pie with some friends. I had started a Facebook fan page for DeLo's of Hamilton Avenue and word got to Rick DeLorenzo (owner and chief pizza maker) that I was the one responsible. After coming out from the kitchen to introduce himself to me we started to chat about developing a new web presence for them. The site they had at the time was a simple, free web template that used poor graphics and really wasn't much to look at. The way I saw it, a place with so much history and a place so loved by so many deserved a better presence on the web and I enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity to work on this project with them.
Going into this project I knew I needed to accomplish a few key tasks:
- Develop a warm, friendly and inviting website using completely custom graphics
- Promote the storied history of DeLorenzo's utilizing photos and a text
- Sync the website with Social Media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, Yelp and more
Two of the most identifiable characteristics of Delo's is the faux wood paneling and the use of the color red throughout the dining area. If you've never had the pleasure of visiting DeLorenzo's and are just reading about it for the first time, it may sound outdated and old but to the contrary, these characteristics all make up it's incredible atmospheric charm. From the old Coca-Cola tumblers filled with pebble ice to the red vinyl seats and booths to the faux wood paneling... these were all important pieces of it's very authentic, retro feel. The great thing about DeLorenzo's is it's not trying to be retro or kitschy... it just is. It's the real deal.
As I mentioned earlier, the history alone of Delorenzo's is quite lengthy and fascinating. For almost it's entire existence it's been a true family run business. Aside from their one longtime employee (who's been with them since 1961) almost all employees are family. I truly felt the best way for us to recreate their web presence was by promoting their history, the fact that it's a true family business and using old photos and images from throughout the years. I wanted people to not only visit this site and learn about Delo's but to read about the history, get to know them and most importantly, relate to them. Customers who can relate to your business become customers who continue to come back again and again. True story.
"The history of DeLorenzo's Pizza began when my grandparents, Pasquale and Maria DeLorenzo emigrated from a small town near Naples, Italy called San Fele. Like a great majority of Italians who came to America to escape the poverty of their home country, Pasquale and Maria settled in a small row home on Hudson Street in Trenton, New Jersey where they raised 12 children. With so many mouths to feed, hard work became a way of life for every member of the family." - An excerpt from the history page
When all was said and done, I really couldn't be much happier with the final outcome. From the retro-style fonts to the wood paneling background to the history and photo gallery pages I really feel as if I was able to capture the essence and family-like atmosphere of DeLorenzo's, which was my main focus and goal. Moving forward, there are a few updates I plan to make such as a rotating banner image to highlight their fantastic tomato pie and other little odds and ends that make eating at Delo's a great experience.
The feedback from both the DeLorenzo family and their customers have been excellent. The bulk of the comments I've gotten thus far remark how warm and inviting the website is. Considering that was the main goal from the very beginning, I'll happily say that this was an extremely successful project.
To visit the new and improved DeLorenzo's website please visit www.delospizza.com.
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| The finished product |
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