EVERETT – When he agreed to substitute for an injured friend’s work shift as a dishwasher at Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria, Jonny Elia wasn’t thinking about a five-year career plan, let alone a 20-year career plan, but two decades later, that one-time dishwasher on Hewitt Ave. is now the proud co-owner along with his wife, Caitlin Hoover.
“I never would have imagined,” Elia quips, “that filling in for a buddy’s dishwashing shift would eventually lead to owning the place.”
Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria, 1919 Hewitt Ave. in Everett, Wash. (photo: EverettPost.com)
The new co-owners of Brooklyn Bros., husband-and-wife team Hoover and Elia, have officially purchased both locations, while working their way, during the last 20 years, through the thankless but vital jobs a restaurant needs accomplished to stay successful in such a competitive business. The Everett location is 1919 Hewitt Ave., the Mukilteo location is 8326 Mukilteo Speedway.
In 2008, just a year and a half after the original Brooklyn Bros. opened in Everett, Jonny was hired as a temporary dishwasher when his best friend Keegan broke his arm and couldn’t make it to work. The gig was supposed to last a couple of weeks.
“After a few weeks,” Elia recalls, one of the restaurant co-founders, Vicki Evola, “thought I was good enough at washing dishes to stick around and asked me to stay on board. I figured, hey, why not stick it out a little longer?”
Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria, 1919 Hewitt Ave. in Everett, Wash. (photo: EverettPost.com)
In 2017 Hoover, a longtime friend of Elia’s, joined the Brooklyn Bros. because of her bartending experience. Like Elia, she initially came aboard with no grand plans of making pizza her career because she was finishing graduate school.
Hoover stuck around as Brooklyn Bros. added a Mill Creek location, Elia tells the EverettPost.com, and they worked together for 3 years before they started dating. “We just grew closer and closer and became really good friends and then eventually we started dating and a few years later we were married.” The Mill Creek restaurant closed due to COVID logistics, but their marriage and their shared commitment to the restaurants have become the cornerstone of their ownership.
Elia worked his way up to General Manager, Director of Operations, and shareholder. For the better part of the last decade, the duo have served as the company’s Operations Directors, helping shape everything from the guest experience and company culture to Brooklyn Bros.’ growing involvement in Everett and Mukilteo.
Hoover and Elia believe the pizzeria’s relationships with its employees, guests, and surrounding communities are just as important to Brooklyn Bros. success as their NY-style pizza.
“Our team really is our special sauce,” Elia says of the dedicated, dough-slinging employees, many of whom have spent years helping build the company’s culture and reputation. “None of this happens without our crew,” Elia elaborates. “we’re lucky to work alongside such an amazing group of people. Some have been here for years, some just a few months, but every one of them is part of what makes this place special.” Elia tells the EverettPost.com they have just over 40 employees.
Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria, 1919 Hewitt Ave. in Everett, Wash. (photo: EverettPost.com)
With the new ownership, longtime Brooklyn Bros. fans might wonder about the pizza they know and love. Elia says customers can rest assured, their high-quality ingredients and genuine respect for the craft will remain intact, while introducing fresh ideas and new energy to the business.
“We’ve got some really fun things in the works that we can’t wait to share,” Elia beamed, “but one thing I can promise is that your favorite pizza is still going to be the same best-damn-pizza around. We’re incredibly proud to carry the torch and honor what Brooklyn Bros. has built over the past 20 years. Our commitment to the quality, consistency, and character of these restaurants isn’t changing.”
As Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria approaches its 20th anniversary, the transition represents both a celebration of its history and a commitment to its future. Hoover and Elia, it’s an opportunity to continue growing a business they’ve already dedicated much of their lives to, alongside the employees, guests, and communities that have made it possible.
For a story that started out just to cover a friend’s dishwashing shift 20 years ago, it’s a pretty remarkable full-circle achievement.
Under their leadership, Brooklyn Bros. has built enduring partnerships and supported a wide range of local organizations, including Workforce Snohomish, Everett and Mukilteo Little Leagues, the YMCA, Sharing Wheels, Schack Art Center, Everett Music Initiative, Village Theatre, Delta Garage, and the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County, among others.
“One of the things we’re most proud of is how connected these pizzerias have become to the communities around them,” said Hoover. “We’ve built so many meaningful relationships over the years—with local organizations, families, regulars, and the people who have supported us from the beginning. Being able to continue those relationships and find even more ways to give back is a huge part of what makes this next chapter so exciting.”
Dining and Cooking