Luis Solis and his wife, Kristen, are photographed at their restaurant, Norwalk Pizza & Pasta, in Norwalk on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
For Luis and Kristen Solis, the tale of their 30th anniversary of Norwalk Pizza & Pasta sounds more like a love story. The pair met over pizza and have been together ever since.
Luis Solis had been working for years at another pizzeria – Rowayton Pizza in the early 1990s when Kristen Solis who was nannying, would bring the little ones in for cheese pizza.
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It took a little time before her husband asked her out after many, many pizzas and later, bike rides together as the two had become friends.
“Oh, he definitely took his time to ask me out,” she said with a chuckle. She loved that he always made her laugh and now even after working long days, “he a hundred percent still makes me laugh.”
Luis Solis prepares a pizza at his restaurant, Norwalk Pizza & Pasta, in Norwalk on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
The pair got married in 2000. While they were dating, Luis Solis opened Norwalk Pizza & Pasta in 1996 once home to the former Shark Attack Pizza. And the couple have been running the business – often side by side – arriving each day at 9 a.m. to turn on the pizza ovens until closing at 10:30 p.m.
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While they worked at the restaurant together, the couple also raised a daughter, Julianna Grace Solis, now 22.
The Greater Norwalk Chamber is recognizing restaurant’s 30th anniversary with a ceremonial ribbon cutting 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16 and the couple is thrilled.
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The pizza club sandwich at Norwalk Pizza & Pasta.
Courtesy Norwalk Pizza & Pasta
“We are so super excited and beyond grateful. This business is long and hard, it’s seven days a week,” Kristen Solis said. “Reaching this milestone means a lot to us that we’ve survived and sustained and are still thriving after all this time.”
The biggest change for Norwalk Pizza over the decades was when they moved from their original location at 236 East Ave. to 13 Winfield St. three years ago.
The new place, a stone’s throw from the old location, offers more dining space and they’ve added waitstaff, in addition to more parking.
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“We didn’t want to leave East Norwalk. We love East Norwalk and they’ve been good to us,” said Kristen Solis.
Luis Solis puts a pizza in the oven at his restaurant, Norwalk Pizza & Pasta, in Norwalk on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
Another sea change they saw was the post-COVID housing boom in the city, bringing in many new faces. She added that while Norwalk Pizza & Pasta has long been neighborhood staple, they try to reach out to newcomers with social media posts.
Kristen Solis said the recipe for their success is serving quality food at reasonable prices, plus a couple of added ingredients.
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“We love what we do. We love our customers. We stand behind what we do,” she said.
They are known for their locally-famous “pizza club sandwich,” which she said they invented.
The club sandwich is made with pizza dough, topped with cheese, a breaded chicken cutlet and bacon that goes in the pizza oven till the crust turns golden brown. Out of the oven, it’s layered with lettuce, tomato, mayo and red onion, then folded, cut and pressed together to make a triple-decker sandwich.
Luis Solis checks on a pizza at his restaurant, Norwalk Pizza & Pasta, in Norwalk on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
A cheese pizza photographed at Norwalk Pizza & Pasta in Norwalk on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
Norwalk Pizza & Pasta in Norwalk photographed on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
Norwalk Pizza & Pasta in Norwalk photographed on July 13, 2026.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
“A lot of people have tried to copy it, but we are, we’ve perfected it and have been doing it for 30 years,” she said.
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At Rowayton Pizza, Luis Solis learned authentic Italian cooking and brought some of the recipes to his own place, Kristen Solis said.
“He has not changed virtually any of the basic recipes, the pasta e fagioli, the dough – all of those things. You make it with love, you make it by hand,” she said. “All of those things that he was taught when he was young is what we have carried on.”
One of the perks of being open for 30 years is really getting to know their customers and watching their families grow up.
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“That’s a beautiful thing, I have to say. We would see kids come in when they were little. They’d be babies. They’d be in strollers. Now, they come in with their kids. It’s so amazing.”
Dining and Cooking