Vero Amore at Dove Mountain wins a ‘Taste of Marana’ Award

After 15 years of operation at its Dove Mountain location, Vero Amore has won the “Taste of Marana Standout Restaurant Award.” According to a press release, Discover Marana shared that the award was earned by providing “extraordinary food, and customer and community services.”

“It’s wonderful to see locally owned restaurants thrive! Suzanne and her team work diligently to train staff to provide consistent service and meals. Quality is paramount to their organization,” said longtime patron, Tricia Brossack. 

The award ceremony took place on Wednesday, November 15 at Vero Amore. Attended by over 100 people, the event was not initially meant to be an award ceremony. The restaurant planned to celebrate its 15th anniversary that night, however, once the team at Vero Amore found out about the win, it became a clear choice for the award presentation venue. 

The trophies awarded to the winners of the Standout Restaurant Award are individual art pieces by local artist Trevor O’Toole.

The family-owned and operated restaurant has also been certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) as an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria. This means Vero Amore’s pizza meets a highly regulated code of authenticity.

 “AVPN requires strict Neapolitan pizza-making standards, including the use of handmade mozzarella and careful measurement of pizza thickness and use of specific toppings,” Discover Marana shared. The restaurant goes as far as importing its flour, tomatoes, and pizza ovens all the way from Italy. 

Vero Amore is locally operated by JAM Culinary Concepts. JAM was founded by Vero Amore Owner Suzanne Kaiser as well as her sons Aric and Joshua Mussman.

For JAM, Vero Amore was not their only foray into food. The culinary concepts group has launched three other restaurants in Tucson, a pizza truck, catering, group dining, and a mobile delivery business.

Vero Amore means “true love” in Italian. The relationship between Vero Amore and its customers only serves to reinforce this fitting name. 

Kaiser said, “We are very grateful to receive this honor and especially because it came from our guests’ recommendation. We have enjoyed being part of this wonderful community for 15 years and look forward to serving it for many more.”

During the time that Vero Amore has been a part of the Dove Mountain community, the restaurant has donated to a wide range of charities and non-profit organizations including the Ronald McDonald House and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Vero Amore also hosts the annual Rockin 4 Heroes event honoring First Responders, Veterans, and active duty Service members.

The restaurant is also a meeting place for professionals in the area looking to show a client what Tucson has to offer. 

The Marana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Amanda Wiggins said of Vero Amore, “I know local businesses love to host their out-of-town guests and meetings at Vero Amore. The convenient location, consistently great food and service as well as their community commitment keeps business owners coming back!” 

Wiggins is not the only professional who has seen Vero Amore as an ideal meeting place. Roberta Lopez-Suter, Director, Marketing & Communications at Trico Electric Cooperative said, “Everyone at Trico enjoys eating there and it’s a welcoming and convenient place to meet with our business partners for lunch. The staff and food are always top-notch.”

Vero Amore is located at 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd. #104 and 2920 N. Swan Rd. For more information, visit veroamorepizza.com. If you’re looking for more places to visit in Marana, check out our interactive “Essential Foodie Guide to Marana.”