Melissa Gorga Explains Why Her Family's Restaurant Is Closing

Melissa Gorga is setting the record straight on her family's restaurant, Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza, after it was recently reported that the East Hanover, New Jersey eatery is closing. 

The Real Housewives of New Jersey entrepreneur clarified the status of the restaurant during an appearance on The Morning Breath podcast Wednesday. "I can speak about it mildly because it's a major situation, unfortunately. I will admit one thing. We are overwhelmed with the amount of people that are going, to the point where honestly, we had no idea it was gonna be as busy as it is. That's first of all," she said. "Second of all, there's partners, obviously, that we've gone into it with. There is gonna be a larger location. We are closing that particular location." 

Melissa went on to say that the food itself, which was inspired by Gorga family recipes, is not the issue. "The food, it's all authentic, it was all for my mother-in-law [Antonia Gorga], it's all real. There is not one person that you'll read who doesn't say the food's amazing. We were having issues with the management and the way they were running it, there was a couple shady things going on, and Joe is not, the lines are out the door. You can drive by Gorga's any time of any day, it's like, wow. We are overwhelmed with the amount of people. Listen, I have Envy, it's manageable, people shop online. The restaurant, when I tell you every single person in America wants to come and try the pasta, which I don't blame them because it's amazing. The line is out the door any time you go," she said. "It's a lot, and we're just regrouping because we don't want it to go in the wrong direction with everything service, service, service, service. And I'm being dead honest with you, the food's amazing, our concept's amazing, we need to regroup and make it bigger and go down the street and do it solely on our own. I told my husband, I was not gonna say this, but I told you so! No partners."

Melissa opened Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza with her husband, Joe Gorga, and her sister-in-law, Teresa Giudice, in May 2017. RHONJ fans have been along for the ride as the family got ready to open the restaurant this season. 

Though Melissa previously told The Daily Dish that she was initially skeptical of Joe opening up a restaurant, she was ultimately glad he did. "The food's phenomenal. They're all her [my mother-in-law] recipes," Melissa told The Daily Dish in October. "So at the end of the day, I gave him a hard time, but I'm very happy that he chose to do it because it's so sweet being in there and just being able to have this restaurant that's really in her memory." 

See more of the RHONJ family at work, below. 

Joe Gorga Wants to Make His Mom and Dad Proud