Avellino’s Pizzeria
Decatur & Brookhaven, Georgia
Concept:
I own and operate two different style pizzerias. Both named Avellino’s, both located in neighborhoods.
1.) Decatur, GA location features:
- Thin crust gas deck Custom stone deck bakers pride double stack ovens
- Dough made in house — long slow ferment 48hr+
- Two sizes rectangular. 13×9 & 18×13.
- Sicilian “grandma” 9×13
- Gluten free 12″
- Calzones
- Made to order salads
- Three pasta dishes.
- A few appetizers
- Beer & wine only
2) Brookhaven, GA location features:
- Thin crust strictly wood fire Italian dome oven
- 1 size. 12″
- Dough made in house — long slow ferment 48hr+
- A few pasta dishes & pasta specials
- Salads made to order
- Appetizers
- Beer & wine only
How did your family start the pizzeria?
My grandfather and his cousin started an Italian bakery in 1904 in my family’s garage below our apartment building that we all lived in, which is still owned and operated in Binghamton, New York by my uncles. My father, who became the boss and oldest brother, had passed away in the 90s while I was in the Navy, so I decided when I got out to separate myself from my uncles and start my own journey for making pizza.
The bakery was a wholesale and retail Italian bread bakery and “rectangular sheet bakery style pizza”. In the 80s my father had constructed a delicatessen to sell our bread retail along with sandwiches on our bakery rolls, cold cuts, etc. We had double-stack ovens to sell pizza, which is where I honed my skills strictly making the pizzas.
As a third-generation owner, what have you brought to the business?
As a third-generation owner and operator, I brought work ethic and attention to details, focusing on a few things to make properly instead of a lot of stuff that fills a menu and looks good on paper. My father, Luigi, and my uncle, Felice, taught me how to take pride in my work and to do it the right way all the time. To take care of the customers and treat them like family and to nurture and encourage the employees to take pride in their work, which would essentially transcend into great pizza.
Where do you hope to take the business?
I currently own two pizzerias; I had one in Pompano, Florida, that my partner bought me out of and one in Binghamton, which my brother took over.
I plan on opening another concept in Chamblee, Georgia, where I purchased a commercial condo surrounded by new developments and plan on opening with Roman-style pizza along with grab and go Italian specialty products, beer and wine.
(I plant to) focus on a few quality products for the neighborhood like my great uncles and grandfather did in their village in Avellino, Italy, and then in Binghamton, New York. I will be doing that myself now in the greater Atlanta area.