The pizza community celebrates the inimitable founder of Di Fara Pizza—one of the original members of PMQ’s Pizza Hall of Fame. Years before Pizza Hall of Fame inductions hit every issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine, there were just a couple of handpicked members. One was the oldest still-operating pizzeria in the United States, Lombardi’s in…
Still operating a 24-hour bar in New Jersey’s gambling mecca, Tony’s Baltimore Grill has stood for nearly a century as a true Atlantic City original. When PMQ wanted to induct Tony’s Baltimore Grill in Atlantic City, New Jersey, into the Pizza Hall of Fame, the owners were game—but insisted they remain anonymous. “They are not…
Still family-owned while growing to 150 locations, this Toronto-based franchise success story has maintained its focus on people and premium products for nearly 60 years. In 1963, Italian immigrant Sam Primucci had a vision of opening a pizzeria in what was then the northern reaches of Toronto and enlisted his three brothers to bring a…
Now in its second generation of ownership—with a third in the works—this Maplewood, New Jersey, staple melds old-school work ethics with modern-day updates. When Italian immigrants Anthony and Giovanna Loffredo arrived in the United States in 1968, they didn’t have much, but they did have a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit. While working…
When his dad wrangled him to wash dishes at the family pizzeria one night, Joe Persi, Jr. didn’t know he was signing up for a lifetime in pizza. Sound familiar? When his father wrangled him to wash dishes at the family business one night, Joe Persi Jr. didn’t know he was signing up for a…
From unlikely franchisee to pizza kingpin, Arni Cohen remained true to his core principles: supporting customers and communities. Arni Cohen, a journalism and history major in college, might have seemed an improbable pizza entrepreneur, but he was no foodservice newbie, having worked since 14 at his uncle’s fine-dining restaurant. By 1965, in his early 30s,…
With no help from the banks and six kids at home, Frank and Angela Martino grew their little 20-seat pizza shop into a sprawling 300-seater in just 10 years. Little did Angela Martino know that Frank, her neighbor and brother’s best friend in Italy, would become her husband years later, well after both had landed…
When Philip Bottos wanted to branch out at his hoagie operation in Secane, Pennsylvania, pizza slinging family members in Massachusetts inspired him to establish Secane Pizza with partner John Kokalis in 1966. With a dream location next to the town’s post office, the small shop (less than 1,000 square feet) introduced a simple menu of…
A true Pacific Northwest original, this “Garlic Gulch” upstart used TV, radio and “buy three, get one free” deals to grow into multiple locations and concepts. In 1957, South Seattle was known as “Garlic Gulch” for its influx of Italian immigrants, but pizzerias hadn’t yet infiltrated the area—until Naples native Vince Mottola Sr. and his…
Employees at this Valparaiso, Indiana, restaurant have clocked decades on the payroll, while customers have included Phyllis Diller and Red Buttons. Fortunately for pizza fans in Valparaiso, Indiana, Anthony Gengo Sr. couldn’t deny his dough-bound destiny. He’d been born into the business; his mother owned a bread company in New York, delivering door-to-door. But when…
