By Ann Keeling
Special to NKyTribune
It’s hard to imagine that when Donald “Buddy” LaRosa opened his first pizzeria 70 years ago — among the very first in Cincinnati — most of his potential guests didn’t even know what pizza was. But Buddy had seen the popularity of the pizza and hoagy shops in the Italian section of South Philadelphia during the time he was stationed there while in the U.S. Navy.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria (Photo provided)
Then, back home in South Fairmont – Cincinnati’s “Little Italy” – in the summer of 1953, Buddy helped his mother and aunt sell pizza at the San Antonio church festival. While pizza was familiar in his Italian-American home, it was still new to most of his German-American neighbors. But the pizza was a tremendous hit, inspiring Buddy to scrape together $400 for a down payment on a pizza oven and open his first pizzeria March 24, 1954, on Boudinot Avenue in Westwood.
In the beginning, Buddy had three partners — Richard “Muzzie” Minella, Mike Soldano, and Frank “Head” Serraino — and the restaurant was originally called Papa Gino’s. The name eventually changed to LaRosa’s when Buddy became the sole owner.
From the first day, Buddy made pizzas alongside co-workers who became part of his extended LaRosa’s family using his Aunt Dena’s recipe. Seventy years later, LaRosa’s still uses that same recipe. For many years, Buddy worked long hours at the pizzeria while his wife, JoJo, made a loving home for their family.
“Dad is a living example of how much you can achieve with a good idea, lots of hard work, and a commitment to be the best,” said Michael LaRosa, CEO, LaRosa’s, Inc. “He worked tirelessly to build relationships with guests, one person and one pizza at a time.”
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval presents proclamation to Buddy LaRosa. (Photo provided)
Buddy guided LaRosa’s growth with determination and a commitment to quality, reflected in his motto: “Good Better Best, Never Let It Rest, Until Your Good Is Better and Your Better Is Best.”
In 1967, the first LaRosa’s franchise was sold to Ed Eilers who, while making frequent trips to deliver LaRosa’s hoagy buns, saw an incredible opportunity. By 1980, LaRosa’s had 25 locations. It is now a $192 million restaurant company with 64 pizzerias in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
As the number of locations grew, the LaRosa’s name became synonymous with pizza in Greater Cincinnati. Its reputation has expanded beyond Greater Cincinnati and LaRosa’s Family Pizzerias have opened as far north as the Columbus neighborhood of Dublin and as far south as the Springhurst neighborhood of Louisville.
LaRosa’s is among the most successful pizza chains in the U.S., with a sales-per-pizzeria average that ranks third in the nation, ahead of much larger competitors such as Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa Johns.
LaRosa’s still is truly a family business with Buddy’s sons Michael serving as Chief Executive Officer and Mark as President. A third generation of LaRosa’s in company management is represented by Nick LaRosa, Mike’s son and Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Intelligence.
Buddy and Mike LaRosa (Photo provided)
With a focus on serving real family recipes, LaRosa’s offers over 40 menu selections for dine in, pick up or delivery.
“While our pizza, and particularly our famous pizza sauce, has always been very popular, we also take great pride in the selections we’ve added over time to incorporate guests’ changing tastes and preferences,” said Mike LaRosa.
In 2015, LaRosa’s was inducted into the Pizza Hall of Fame, an honor awarded by PMQ Pizza Magazine to recognize pizzerias that have had a lasting impact in their communities. Buddy LaRosa earned individual honors in 2022, when he was inducted into the Ohio Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame.
A 70th Anniversary Celebration this week kicked off with a “Hats Off to Buddy” event, where media personalities, fellow restaurateurs, sports figures and local celebrities shared their stories of Buddy’s unique personality and strong work ethic with the LaRosa family and guests.
