Vito’s Pizza closed its doors after 42 years in business, and now, new owners will be serving up a Slice of Sicily in the same spot.
CATAWISSA, Pa. — Along Main Street in Catawissa, a new pizza shop has opened where Vito’s Pizza stood for 42 years. Slice of Sicily opened on Tuesday. It is owned by Lorenzo Cracchiolo, who is only 20 years old. He says he picked Catawissa because it is a nice town and he’s heard great things.
“Then we saw that Vito’s wanted to put their business up for sale, so we decided to take the opportunity and come down and try to give the best we can for this community,” said Lorenzo Cracchiolo, Slice of Sicily owner.
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Working in the pizza business is not anything new for Lorenzo. His father, Filippo, was in the business for many years, owning a shop in Turbotville. Lorenzo worked alongside his father when he was little, learning the family recipes. Filippo is helping by managing the new shop and also making some of the food.
Cracchiolo says it was a bonus that the pizza shop was a turnkey business. “It was definitely an easy process to go through, we kind of came in and just redecorated and got everything prepped and ready and all set to go.”
Cracchiolo says aside from pizza, the shop is also making hoagies and other Italian dishes. He says there’s a lot that goes into getting the shop ready for the day. “Just coming in and prepping, make a few phone calls, making sure everything is set and ready for all the customers to come in and give the best we can.”
Cracchiolo says he is using some of the same recipes that his father passed down to him, and also a few favorites from Vito’s Pizza. He says the owners of Vito’s were very helpful, telling him about the area, the business, and how everything runs.
“We have a few secrets, a little here, a little there, and we’re happy to bring it to the community, what we have to offer,” said Cracchiolo.
Slice of Sicily Pizza is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
Dining and Cooking