December 07, 2023
Doug Peters/PA Images; Sipa USA
Bradley Cooper's latest film as both star and director, 'Maestro,' was released Nov. 22. But it's not his only venture: This week his pop-up food truck debuted in Manhattan. Called Danny & Coop's it's a collaboration with the owner of Angelo's Pizzeria in South Philly.
Angelo's Pizzeria hit the road with a van full of freshly baked bread early Thursday morning, destined for another day of selling cheesesteaks in New York City with a very famous friend.
The Italian Market mainstay made its food truck debut in Manhattan's Greenwich Village on Wednesday, drawing immediate attention thanks to its line cook Bradley Cooper. The actor and Montgomery County native made headlines for slinging sandwiches out of the truck, which was branded not as Angelo's but Danny & Coop's. The truck is apparently a joint venture between the Cooper and Angelo's owner Danny DiGiampietro, who have been scouting spaces in New York City for the past two years. They hope to eventually open a cheesesteak shop there, DiGiampietro told the Inquirer.
But for now, Danny & Coop's is a strictly mobile and not-for-profit pop up. Cooper and DiGiampietro plan to donate all proceeds to a hunger relief group in New York.
Beginning before dawn on Thursday, DiGiampietro and his team have been documenting their return to New York City. In a series of videos posted to Angelo's Instagram Story, DiGiampietro films his employees shaping dough and pulling bread out of the shop's ovens.
Subsequent clips show DiGiampietro and his niece Gina hopping into a white van loaded with bags of bread at 4 a.m. The video travelogue continues with updates from the road. Eventually, the team makes it Washington Place in Manhattan and picks up the food truck. DiGiampietro is later seen dancing inside it, an Eagles knit hat perched atop his head.
The most recent video posted to the account shows Cooper manning the grill once again. The truck started serving sandwiches at 11:30 a.m. at 355 Sixth Ave.
DiGiampietro says he has no plans to leave his current shop at 736 S. Ninth St. His friendship with Cooper originated there, he told the Inquirer, when the actor stopped in for a sandwich in 2019. DiGiampietro passed along his number and Cooper soon texted him raving about the cheesesteak.
Cooper is currently on the Oscar campaign trail for his new Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro," now playing in theaters. It is Cooper's second film as a director, following his critically acclaimed "A Star Is Born" remake with Lady Gaga.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Cooper was starring in a biopic about Leonard Cohen. "Maestro" is about composer Leonard Bernstein.
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