Mack dropped from Manco

Last Updated on Thursday, January 05, 2012 01:30 pm Written by Ann Richardson Thursday, December 29, 2011 01:00 am

Pizza chain now with just one name

OCEAN CITY — Mack and Manco pizzeria is changing its name. The pizza icon will officially be known as Manco and Manco beginning on Jan. 1.

Employees have already started answering the phone with the “Manco and Manco” moniker, but, according to a manager on duty this week at the Boardwalk store at Ninth Street, customers will not notice any difference.

“Literally nothing has changed, nothing,” said the manager, who asked not to be identified.

The celebrated pizza appears to remain the same despite the media hype. Co-owner Chuck Bangle would not comment on the change. Bangle did release information to the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this month that stated that there will be no change in ownership or recipe, but that it is simply a change in name.

City publicist Mark Soifer said it’s much ado about nothing. The signature Mack and Manco name had a nice, familiar ring to it, he said. The new name will take some getting used to, but he thinks within a short time the name change issue will be but a memory.

“The important thing to remember is that the name has changed, but not the product. No one is not going to eat the pizza because they changed the name,” he said. “The Manco name means something and I’m sure that people will understand that the name changed, but not the pizza.”

Soifer said some patrons may question the name change at first, but won’t be skeptical for long.

Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, agreed.

“It’s the same institution on the Ocean City Boardwalk,” she said. “We’re glad that they are here to stay, for years and years. The restaurant has stayed in the family and we’re very happy about that.”

Currently, there are three Mack and Manco locations along the Ocean City Boardwalk and one in Somers Point.