Pizza Today - April 2016 - 16

conversation

NANCY PEZZI

PAISANO'S PIZZERIA / IONE, CALIFORNIA

NANCY LETS US
IN ON PAISANO'S
ORIGIN STORY,
GROWTH & MENU
The pizzeria's two locations are situated
in small towns in Northern California.
Paisano's features an extensive menu and
invests in community outreach.

IN 2009, I DECIDED I NEEDED TO COME
OUT OF RETIREMENT as my husband and

I had adopted three grandchildren. There
was a little pizza parlor for sale and I
jumped in. I had had a small deli previously
and had catered for years but this was my
first pizzeria and full restaurant.

Owner Nancy Pezzi with son, John, and daughter, Kathryn,
who have taken active roles in the business

experience that is really paying them.
Take care of your customer and they will
take care of you. Growing up in a family
restaurant, I believe, is one of the best life
lessons on work ethics. My little ones come
in and immediately clear tables and chat
with our customers.

is cut fresh at our stores. We use a local
meat company, Swingle Meat, that makes
our Italian sausage and smokes our linguiça
for us. Our pizza is a Chicago-style, thincrust pizza.

Two of my four adult children work for
me. John started in the Ione store and has
taken over managing the Jackson location.
My daughter Kathryn has been working on
marketing and learning how to manage the
finances. My older son Chris designed and
manages our Web site and my son Scott
takes care of all of our window stickers and
signage.

In 2014, I took another leap of faith
and opened a second location - double
the size - in the town of Jackson 10
miles away. It also had been a pizza place,
but had been empty for six years. All of
my children and grandchildren came and
helped with the renovations and opening.

Our menu is a bit extensive. Our Ione
location is in a very small town with limited
dining options. We offer pizza, appetizers,
sandwiches, burgers, calzones, pasta
and a salad bar. We continued with the
original owners' Tuesday night Rib Night,
but changed it up with our dry rub and slow
roasting the ribs in the bottom oven. It has
been a huge success.

ALL OF OUR RECIPES COME FROM
OUR FAMILY. I grew up making pizzas

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN GIVING
BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. We donate to

IN 2012, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
INVASIVE BREAST CANCER. My family

with my family. Our dough recipe comes
from Chicago in the early 1920s. My
grandmother taught my mom and we had
pizza nights growing up - a tradition I
continued with my children and a wealth of
their friends.

rallied and ran the store for me during the
year I needed for treatment. We also took
in a fourth grandchild. The key to having
your children work for you is that they
have to be vested in the family and in the
business. One thing they both are learning
is that it is not just an 8-to-5 position and
that the paycheck may come from the
business but it is the customer and their
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MY CONCEPT WAS (TO) KEEP IT FRESH.

We make our dough fresh daily, grate our
own cheese and blend it, and our produce

our local schools for awards, church groups
for events and clubs for raffles. The favorite
silent action at our local events is a chance
to bid on The Pizza for a Year and a chance
to get a large pizza once a month! This year
we are sponsoring a Little League team and
have fed those down on their luck. My son
Scott has a Burning Man Art Car that we
enter in the local parades. Everyone loves
the flame-throwing wagon!
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Pizza Today - April 2016

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