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Business & Tech

Divvying Up the Pie: Mack Splits from Manco

The famous Ocean City pizzeria becomes Manco & Manco.

 

After 55 years, Ocean City's most iconic pizzeria has a new recipe: no Mack and more Manco. 

Posters with the new Manco & Manco name started appearing in the year-round store at 920 Boardwalk in late October, and phone calls to the store have been answered, "Manco and Manco." An electronic sign on the facade of the Somers Point store now reads "Manco & Manco Pizza Too."

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Chuck Bangle, Mack & Manco co-owner and son-in-law of owners Frank and Kay Manco, has declined to comment to Ocean City Patch on the name change since the new name started to appear. On Friday, he said he would first share information on the change only for a Sunday feature in a "major newspaper," which he declined to name. (Update on Sunday, Dec. 18: .)

"Mack and Manco's is now Manco & Manco Pizza!" has been posted on the pizzeria's website with various launch dates given for MancosPizza.com.

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While ownership declined to speak about the name change, others talked freely about the switch.

The planned name change—and unconfirmed dissolution of the Mack and Manco partnership—has been a badly kept secret since summer with customers and neighboring merchants openly discussing the news.

There are few things in Ocean City as legendary as Mack & Manco. Although the Boardwalk is home to 18 pizzerias, the lines are always longest in front of Mack & Manco's three stores. Mack & Manco assembles its pies differently than most, spreading a layer of shredded cheese atop the thin crust before topping with a swirl of tomato sauce.

Name recognition is key in business. For someone starting out, a name that provides instant recognition is extremely valuable. For someone in business more than half a century, changing names—in most situations—would be unthinkable.

"Because we're talking about Mack and Manco, I don't think it's going to affect their business, not one iota," said Doug Wing, owner of on Eighth Street. "I don't think it'll hurt them, a name change as little as that. The new name is very close to the old name."

Five years ago, Wing became the fourth owner of Ready's in its 48-year history. A name change for his restaurant, he said, would be a mistake. "If I changed the name here," he said, illustrating his point by turning his thumb in a downward direction, "it would be death." 

Mack & Manco's storied history began in 1956, when founders Anthony Mack and Vincent Manco came to Ocean City from Trenton and opened the original Mack & Manco at 920 Boardwalk. A few years later, they added the . Mack's sons Dominic, Vince and Joseph expanded their business to the Wildwood and Atlantic City boardwalks, while Manco's son Frank remained in Ocean City. Frank, with his wife Kay, opened the in the 1980s.

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