Common sense should have told Satchel Raye that his concept for a pizzeria would never fly. The location—tucked away in a largely industrial, off-the-beaten-path section of northeast Gainesville, Florida—leaves much to be desired. His labor costs would give most restaurateurs the heebie-jeebies. And then there’s all that junk—ribbons of junk … More
Business & Marketing
Time Capsule: Aurelio’s Pizza
After Joe Aurelio Jr. got a loan for $2,500 to buy a struggling four-seat pizzeria in Homewood, Illinois, in 1959, business was initially slow at Aurelio’s Pizza (aureliospizza.com). He kept afloat through sales of his beef sandwiches—only six or seven pizzas were usually sold in an evening—but made some adjustments to … More
Business & Marketing
Burt's Place
ldquo;I’ve always been independent,” laughs Burt Katz, owner of Burt’s Place in suburban Chicago. “I’m like a salmon—I swim upstream.” And any customer who has been to Burt’s Place, an offbeat pizzeria in Morton Grove, Illinois, knows the man’s not lying. Everything about the place speaks to the owner’s personality, from its unusual location at the end of … More
Business & Marketing
Spacca Napoli: a taste of Naples in Chicago
In all great cities, there are places between work and home where good food, friends and a glass of wine or two can revive the spirit. For a growing number of Chicagoans, that place is Spacca Napoli (spaccanapolipizzeria.com), a Neapolitan-style pizzeria at the corner of West Sunnyside and North Ravenswood Avenues, owned and operated by Jonathan Goldsmith, … More
Business & Marketing
Time capsule: Totonno Pizzeria Napolitana
Zagat once claimed of Totonno Pizzeria Napolitana (totonnos.com), “Only God makes better pizza.” And this legendary pizzeria has certainly received its share of cult-like worship since its beginnings in 1924, when Anthony “Totonno” Pero opened his own pizzeria in Brooklyn’s Coney Island (he had trained for years as a pizzaiolo at the legendary Lombardi’s … More
Business & Marketing
Solid as a rock star
Elvis. Miley Cyrus. The Beatles. These are just some of the musicians whose memorabilia you will encounter when dining at Rockstar Pizza (rockstarpizza.net) in Brownsburg, Indiana. Founder Ron Mathews has offered a variety of gourmet pies and subs, as well as a rock star-friendly environment for music lovers, since 2007. Rockstar is housed in an early 20th century brick … More
Pizzerias & Pizzaioli
Time capsule: De Lorenzo’s tomato pies
The De Lorenzo’s pizza lineage goes back four generations to Italian immigrants Pasquale and Maria De Lorenzo, who helped their four sons (Jimmy, Joe, Johnny and Alexander “Chick”) open a tomato pie restaurant in 1936. Eventually, Chick opened his own pizzeria in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1947, which still stands today: De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies (delorenzostomatopies.com). … More
Pizzerias & Pizzaioli
Time capsule: Papa’s Tomato Pies
There were already other pizzerias in Trenton, New Jersey, when Naples transplant Giuseppe (“Joe”) Papa decided to open Papa’s Tomato Pies (papastomatopies.com) in 1912, but this institution is the only one from those early days that’s still standing. Joe was only 17 years old when he opened his doors, and made dough by hand, cooking … More
Pizzerias & Pizzaioli
D’Allesandro’s Pizza
Pizzerias often rely on a unified theme to bring customers in; positioning themselves as a family-friendly atmosphere or a sports-viewing destination can help create the recognizable image and brand of the restaurant. For years, pizzerias have perfected the art of selling themselves as a side dish to their pizza—a profitable strategy. Occasionally, though, a pizzeria abandons this marketing idea, … More
Pizzerias & Pizzaioli
Pizzeria Piccola
Pizzeria Piccola (pizzeriapiccola.com) in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, isn’t very big. In fact, this restaurant’s name translates from Italian as “small pizzeria.” A modest yet prized brand in the 11-unit Bartolotta Restaurant Group, founded by brothers Joe and Paul Bartolotta in 1993, Pizzeria Piccola measures less than 2,000 square feet but manages to bring in nearly $1 million in average annual … More
Pizzerias & Pizzaioli
Time capsule: Domino's Pizza
With a $75 down payment and a loan of $500, brothers Tom and James Monaghan bought their first pizza store, called DomiNick’s, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1960. James ended up selling his stake in the company months later to his brother for a Volkswagen Beetle, when the company still operated in the red. … More
Pizzerias & Pizzaioli
Time capsule: Freddie’s Restaurant & Pizzeria
When Mark Brockriede, current owner of Freddie’s Restaurant & Pizzeria (freddiespizzeria.com) in Long Branch, New Jersey, took over the pizzeria’s operations in 1995 as a third-generation owner from the original family, many customers were worried that he’d change too much and lose the familiarity of a restaurant that had been in business since 1944. After all, … More