Liliana’s Pizza and Grill is the product of Gladys Valentin and Marvin Menendez’s love story. The couple now share their mutual love of Italian food with their hometown community.
Raised in Kennett Square, Gladys Valentin and Marvin Menendez were happy to discover 1160 Newark Rd, in Toughkenamon to start their local restaurant.
“There were no other pizza shops in town, and it had the right arrangement for the two of us to bring our magic to the restaurant venue,” Valentin said. “We are doing this because we enjoy cooking good quality Italian food and sharing it with others. Developing relationships with our customers is of ultimate importance to us. We are grateful to have a growing number of faithful patrons, who we consider friends.”
The extensive menu at Liliana’s Pizza & Grill is conveniently posted outside. (Submitted by Joan Holliday)
With take-out orders and dining-in, their most popular order is homemade pizza.
“What makes our pizza a specialty is the fresh dough that we make in-house every morning, along with our homemade sauce. We use quality cheeses and are not skimpy with the added ingredients,” Gladys said.
Marvin has been cooking Italian food in restaurants since his youth. He cooks several signature Italian dishes that have received high praise from customers. One review said, “Order the Penne Alla Vodka! Fantastic!”
It would be easy to bring one’s own bottle of wine (BYOB) and enjoy a fine Italian dinner in their newly renovated dining area. They are open from 11 am to 8 pm and closed on Mondays. Friday and Saturday, they stay open until 9 pm.
Other popular take-out orders are Cheese Steak New Garden (Valentin-named) topped with lettuce, tomato, fried onions, mushrooms and topped with Jalapeno peppers. Lily’s Salad is also a favorite —a complete meal with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken and shrimp with house Italian dressing.
Fifteen years ago, this dynamic duo named Lily’s Pizza & Grill in Thorndale after their granddaughter. Although successful, they decided they wanted to move back to their hometown. With the new location, they carried on the name of their granddaughter, just changing the nickname “Lily “to “Liliana’s” Pizza and Grill.
The new location has special memories for Gladys, who remembers when it was owned by Dom and Vince. She would go to the shop with her mother to buy her penny candy at the counter—a highlight for her as a small child.
Although there are many pizzerias in the Kennett area, Gladys doesn’t sweat over this.
“Competition is good. The community wants pizza. Sometimes I think we can’t have enough pizza,” Gladys said; “I just hope when customers have our pizza that they will want to return and drive the couple of miles to Toughkenamon because they are returning to the freshness and quality of our pizzas.”
Inflation is affecting business, according to Valentin.
“It has been a strain on our business. Every time I receive a bill, the cost of groceries is going up. We also hesitate passing on the expense to our customers,” Gladys said; “Some months, we are just breaking even.”
She continued, “Currently, it is more important to us that we are keeping the prices comfortable for our customers and riding the storm. Hopefully, it will get better.”
Previously, Gladys worked at Chester County Health Department in the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) nutrition program. She retired after 25 years and is calling her restaurant work her second career.
Gladys’s son Jacob works at Liliana’s. Her other son, Felipe is an engineer, and her daughter, Christina is a Kennett immigration lawyer—they consult on the business strategy and operations for Liliana’s.
Gladys and Marvin both agree that it is all about love for each other, Italian food, and their customers that is making the business successful. The community agrees —Liliana’s Pizza & Grill has a 4.8 out of 5 with 144 reviews.
The Story of Kennett – Shaping the future one child at a time” Joan Holliday and Bob George’s book on Kennett may be purchased on Amazon and at the Mushroom Cap. You may contact Joan at: dochollisv@aol.com.
Dining and Cooking