Little Italian Pizza is in the know when it comes to dough. The restaurant, located at 373 East Bailey Rd., has been serving up slices of pizza and more since 1974, recently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Patrick Brioch, owner of Little Italian Pizza, has been involved in the pizza business for 23 years. He says one reason his restaurant has done so well, beyond satisfying hungry customers, is because the fundamentals of his pizza haven’t changed.
“The pizza’s been made the same way since I’ve been here,” Brioch said. “We haven’t changed a whole lot because we haven’t needed to…If it’s not broken–don’t fix it.”
Pizza that rises beyond the dough
For Brioch, success goes well beyond the dough: like sauce, it’s something he likes to spread around. The restaurant often partners with local organizations as well as with local schools and churches.
“It’s just a good way to kind of show the community that we’re not just here providing a good product,” Brioch said. “But [that] we want to help out everyone along the way as much as we can.”
That was evident even in the celebration the restaurant threw on June 22 for its 50th anniversary.
“We gave away almost 150 pizzas to the community,” said Patrick Brioch, owner of Little Italian Pizza. “We just had a great time.”
The restaurant also collected donations for DuPagePads at the event, and sold raffle tickets for the chance to win prize-filled baskets…the proceeds for which went to local non-profit Little Friends.
Serving up a sense of community
Last November Brioch became the owner of the Naperville restaurant, having worked his fair share of dough-rolling and dishwashing over the years.
Some of Little Italian Pizza’s current employees have worked alongside Brioch for over a decade. That sense of community, Brioch said, extends well beyond the kitchen and counter.
“Most of our staff here know all of our customers by a first name basis, right when they’re walking through the door,” said Brioch.
Over the years, this sense of community has not only had a positive impact on the business but also on Brioch’s personal life. In 2011, Brioch met his future wife while working with her at the restaurant.
The future of Little Italian Pizza
By incorporating community building into his mission, Brioch shows he’s mastered more than just the art of pizza-making. His success, however, is served with a side of controversy–pineapple on pizza.
“It’s a heated question,” Brioch said. “I wouldn’t probably order it on a pizza myself, but anytime that I do find myself eating it, I enjoy it.”
Regardless of where you fall on the pineapple-on-pizza debate, “Pizza is pizza,” Brioch said. “At the end of the day, it’s great–but it’s not of the utmost importance.”
For him, the true recipe for success includes a space where family comes first and pizza comes second.
“I always tell people … life happens, and we are supportive of taking care of family first,” he said. With that attitude, Brioch expects the restaurant to live on, as long as someone’s willing to take care of the Little Italian Pizza family.
“It’s no different than walking through the doors at home,” Brioch said.
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