It’s safe to say Steve Eddick, owner of Stefano’s Brooklyn Pizza in Harlingen, Texas, doesn’t give up easily. It has taken two-and-a-half years, but Stefano’s has reclaimed its brick-and-mortar space after a fire forced Eddick to temporarily revamp his business model.

Stefano’s held a grand re-opening in Harlingen, Texas, on July 2, welcoming customers to a larger building that can seat more than 200. General Manager Graham Smith told ValleyCentral.com that the public’s support for the comeback was huge. “We were expecting forty-ish people, and we’ve shot way beyond that. We really appreciate everything that everyone has done for us.”

A fire ravaged Stefano’s shortly before Christmas 2021. Rebuilding the original location was a time-consuming and exacting process. But Eddick kept selling his pies in the meantime, working out of Steve’s Food Mart in a Citgo convenience store. That marked a return to the pizzeria’s humble roots—Steve’s Food Mart was where Eddick first started offering his handmade Brooklyn-style pizzas before he opened the full-service restaurant in 2012.

During the lengthy rebuild of Stefano’s, Eddick “planned out every wall, every tile, every stone that’s in here,” Smith said in an interview with KRGV. “We are just really excited to be able to use the restaurant in a more efficient way.”

For his comeback, Eddick didn’t skimp on the menu. It’s loaded with appetizers, salads, seafood dishes, sandwiches and 30 entrees, such as Rolled Spinach Lasagna, Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Chicken, Chicken Florentine, Eggplant Rollatini and Smoked Gouda Chicken

Stefano’s also plates 25 specialty pizzas, including the Ferrara’s (Italian sausage, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce); the Prosciutto Arugula (prosciutto, arugula, shredded Parmesan, olive oil and a balsamic reduction); and the Jalapeño Popper (cream cheese, mozz, cheddar, jalapeños and bacon).

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