In today’s world, restaurants often come and go. It seems that once you find a favorite restaurant and start recommending it to friends and family, it changes management, revamps its menu, or closes its doors altogether. Industry reports suggest that the average lifespan of a family-owned and operated restaurant is only 8–10 years. That often leaves customers searching for new favorites and facing the dreaded question—especially among married couples: “Where do you want to go eat?”
Fortunately, for pizza lovers on the First Coast, especially fans of authentic New York-style pizza, that is not a problem. Enter Renna’s Pizza.
Unlike many family-owned businesses that struggle to survive beyond a decade, Renna’s Pizza has reached a remarkable milestone. This June, the company celebrated 50 years in business with five locations throughout the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Today, it stands as the second-longest-operating pizza restaurant in the Jacksonville metro area.
Renna’s Pizza began as the dream of Giuseppe “Joe” Renna and his brothers. After relocating from Brooklyn, New York, and originally emigrating from Bari, Italy, they sought to bring their family’s culinary traditions and recipes to Northeast Florida. After searching for the right location, they chose the First Coast for its warm climate and beautiful beaches. Their first restaurant opened near the former Philips Mall at the intersection of Philips Highway and Emerson Street.
The restaurant quickly became a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Building on that success, Joe expanded into the growing Argyle Forest area in 1985. The momentum continued with the opening of a Mandarin location in 1991.
Despite continued growth, the Renna family never lost sight of its original mission: sharing authentic Italian family recipes and traditions. Joe’s daughter and her husband, Mike Snober, joined the business to carry that legacy into the next generation. In 2010, they opened a location in Jacksonville Beach near A1A and J. Turner Butler Boulevard. Expansion continued with a Neptune Beach location in 2018. Even through the economic challenges of COVID-19 and the inflation that followed, the company successfully opened its fifth location in late 2025, bringing its authentic pizza to another corner of the metropolitan area.
Today, Renna’s Pizza is operated by two local ownership groups that continue to carry Joe’s vision forward. Matt Wymer, a former software engineer from Indiana, has managed the Argyle Forest and Mandarin locations for the past four years. Mike Snober oversees Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Deerwood locations.
Each restaurant continues to serve loyal customers who feel like they are part of Renna’s family, a tradition which is now being passed down through the generations. For many families, Renna’s is tied to childhood memories, family dinners, Friday pizza nights, and favorite menu items that have remained unchanged for decades.
During a recent visit to the Argyle Forest location, we met Thomas from the Oakleaf area of Clay County. He shared that his father first brought him to Renna’s as a child, and now, nearly 39 years later, he still stops in whenever he can for a slice or a pizza to take home to his family. He fondly remembers the days when the restaurant featured a Pac-Man arcade machine, but what stands out most is that the quality of the food has never changed. Thomas said he has traveled across the country, including visits to Chicago and New York, yet nothing compares to the taste of Renna’s Pizza.
That family atmosphere extends beyond the customers and into the workplace. Conversations with several employees at the Argyle Forest location revealed a common theme: family. Employees described Renna’s as more than a workplace—it is a place where coworkers share life experiences, celebrate milestones, and support one another.
Eric Foskey, the company’s longest-tenured employee, has been with Renna’s for 34 years. Starting as a dishwasher and eventually becoming General Manager of the Mandarin location, Mr. Foskey recalled how Joe’s wife would often prepare home-cooked meals for employees who wanted to gather after closing. Beyond the close-knit work environment, employees say they enjoy building relationships with regular customers, whether they visit once a week or every day.
Another key to Renna’s success is consistency. The company has maintained the same vendors, ingredients, and recipes for decades. As a result, customers continue to return year after year and introduce the restaurant to the next generation. Mr. Foskey noted that customers who move away and later return frequently comment that the food tastes exactly as they remember it.
As Renna’s celebrates its 50th anniversary this June, the company remains open to thoughtful growth. However, its top priority is protecting the qualities that have sustained the business for half a century: great food, consistency, dedicated people, and a strong local identity. The goal is not simply to add more locations, but to ensure that every location maintains the standards and traditions that customers have come to expect.
So, the next time you are craving authentic pizza or Italian cuisine, consider visiting one of Renna’s five locations throughout the Jacksonville metropolitan area. From this writer’s perspective, you will not be disappointed—and you will not have to break the bank to enjoy a memorable meal.
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Tobias D. Wilson, with the artist’s name of Endofthehwy media, was inspired by the literally the end of the Maine state highway 24. This was one of my favorite spots to visit while stationed at now now-closed Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, between 2004 to 2007.
I have been married now to a wonderful lady for 18 years and together we have one child, a nine-year-old daughter. We settled in St. Johns County after I retired from the US Navy after 20 years. My specialty in the military was administration and logistics. I am currently a stay-at-home dad and a volunteer at my local church.
In 2013, during outpatient treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center for deployment-related health issues, I was encouraged to find a hobby that I loved. I choose photography to see life through the lens.
I had the great opportunity to volunteer for two years as a still photographer for Honor Flights of Columbus, an organization dedicated to getting veterans to the memorials in Washington DC. My photos contributed to the flight mission video published on the organization’s website and YouTube channel. As a photographer, there was such joy to see the veterans return home to a hero’s welcome and be able to capture it.
