Walk into New York Roma Pizza and you’ll immediately understand why it’s so loved in the neighborhood. Fresh pies gleam behind the counter, their crusts perfectly charred and their cheese bubbling. The whole place hums with hot Miami energy: staff moving in sync, regulars calling out orders, and the smell of fresh dough and tomato sauce drifting through the air — both inside and outside of this McFarlane Road storefront. For decades, it’s been the spot where Grovites go for their Brooklyn-style pizza fix.
Behind that consistency is owner Tomás Euvin, who came to New York from Guayaquil, Ecuador, at age 22 and landed his first job here in the States washing dishes at a pizzeria in what most aficionados consider the unofficial “Pizza Capital of the U.S.”
A Self-Taught Pizzaiolo
Over time, he learned the timeless art of pizza-making by watching the Italian pizzaiolos at work and picking up their secrets to making the perfect pie. “They were old school,” he says. “They weren’t going to teach you — you had to figure it out yourself!”
He watched how they stretched dough, what went on first, what went on last, when they pulled pies from the oven. Then he went to his sister’s house and replicated it.
“I practiced my technique right there in her kitchen,” he laughs. “Kneading dough, working the dough — I definitely made a mess more than once. But she always shrugged it off, because she knew it was all in the name of perfecting the craft.”
Brooklyn Pizza Goes South
By 1982, Tomás had figured it out well enough to start making pizza the authentic Brooklyn way: simple, fresh, and full of flavor. Fourteen years later, in 1996, he brought that approach south, opening his first location on the corner of 9th Street and Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.
The move wasn’t easy. Different market, different customers, different expectations. But Tomás stuck to what he’d learned watching those old pizzaiolos: consistency is king.“ Even when production costs go up, you maintain your recipe. So customers get the same delicious slice every time!”
Same Recipe, Every Time
And that’s how you build trust. People return because they know what they’re getting. The pizza tastes like it did last month, last year, a decade ago. In an industry chasing trends, that kind of reliability becomes its own signature.
This approach worked. New York Roma Pizza expanded from that first South Beach location to spots in Downtown, Pinecrest, and our beloved Coconut Grove, each one serving up the same quality pies Tomás perfected in Brooklyn.
The Grove location showcases what 40 years of that philosophy looks like in practice. The dough is still made fresh daily. The sauce, rich and flavorful. Whether customers order a classic cheese or a loaded supreme, it’s the real deal.
“But sometimes, you have to mix things up to stay competitive,” he says. And his stance on the classic pineapple on pizza debate? “I like it on occasion, it’s very popular,” he says. “The Italians I’m friends with don’t typically like it, but maybe they’re getting used to it. ”
Growing with the Grove
Over the years, Tomás has watched Coconut Grove evolve around him. New restaurants have opened. The neighborhood has found a balance and the community feels cohesive.
“The Coconut Grove Business Improvement District has supported me. It helps local businesses stay visible and connected to the neighborhood.”
The events the BID organizes bring people through the Grove, generating foot traffic and community gathering points that benefit everyone. For a business built on steady neighborhood loyalty, he says that kind of support matters.
His story isn’t flashy. It’s about showing up early, leaving late, and honing in on your craft every day. From Brooklyn to Coconut Grove, that’s been enough. The pizza still tastes like Brooklyn. New customers become regulars. And Tomás is still there, making sure every slice meets the standard.
So, what’s he do off the clock? Tomás loves cars and was once an avid collector.
In Coconut Grove, New York Roma Pizza has become an institution precisely because Tomas never tried to reinvent it. The pizza still tastes like Brooklyn. The customers still come back. Four decades in, the lesson holds: a pie done right is perfect any way you slice it.
New York Roma Pizza is located at 2985 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133. It is open daily from 10:45 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. For orders or more information, call 786- 876-9373 or visit www.newyorkromapizza.com.
