MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — Pizza lovers in Moncks Corner now have a new option for oversized slices and New York-style pies.
Benny Ernesto’s, the newest location in the growing Benny’s Pizza family, opened its doors this week, bringing the chain’s signature 28-inch pizzas to 337 E. Main Street, Unit A in downtown Moncks Corner. The restaurant celebrated its opening with a social media announcement offering customers $5 off their first whole pie through June 4 when they mention the Facebook post.
The new restaurant marks the fifth Benny’s location in the Charleston region, joining existing stores in Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville.
But what began as a single college-town pizza shop in Virginia has grown into something much larger.
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From Virginia Tech Friends to a Multi-State Pizza Brand
The Benny’s story started in 2011 when friends Chris Brown and Zach Toth left their city jobs to open a pizza shop near Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Their concept was simple: offer authentic New York-style pizza with enormous slices at affordable prices.
According to an interview Brown gave to Pizza Today, the pair combined traditional thin-crust New York pizza with Washington, D.C.’s famous jumbo-slice concept to create what they call the “Virginia Slice.”
“Personality is a big part of Benny’s success,” Brown said. “It’s not just the size of our 28-inch pies or the speed of our slices, but our simple and honest presentation that gets people saying, ‘I want a slice of Benny’s,’ not just a slice of pizza.”
What started as one location serving college students looking for a quick, inexpensive meal has since expanded across multiple states.
Today, Benny’s operates locations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wyoming and Florida, with additional restaurants continuing to open.
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Why Every Benny’s Has a Different Name
While each location shares the Benny’s brand, no two restaurants carry exactly the same name.
The Moncks Corner location is known as Benny Ernesto’s, following a company tradition of giving each restaurant a unique surname tied to its local community.
Brown told Pizza Today that the naming strategy is designed to make each restaurant feel connected to its hometown rather than like a generic chain operation.
The company says the approach helps each restaurant develop its own personality while still being part of the larger Benny’s family.
Giant Pies, Giant Slices
The restaurant’s biggest attraction may be its signature 28-inch pizzas.
A single cheese slice sells for $5.50, while whole cheese pies cost $38. Specialty pizzas featuring toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, garlic mushroom, Hawaiian and feta veggie combinations range from $6.50 per slice to $46 for a whole pie.
The menu also includes garlic breadsticks, cookies, brownies and Zapp’s potato chips.
For customers looking for something to drink with their pizza, Benny Ernesto’s offers eight rotating draft beers and more than 50 bottled and canned beer selections.
Building a Presence in Berkeley County
The arrival of Benny Ernesto’s adds another dining option to Moncks Corner’s growing restaurant scene and extends the Benny’s footprint deeper into Berkeley County.
The company describes each of its locations as reflecting the culture and personality of the downtown districts they call home.
“Each Benny’s has its own identity and its own chill vibe reflecting the downtowns that we call home,” the company says on its website.
Now, Moncks Corner joins more than three dozen communities across the country that have embraced the brand’s oversized slices, local flavor and college-town roots.
For local residents, that means one thing: giant slices are officially on the menu.
