The old school meatballs are back! And the deep fried pepperoni puffs featured at the Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, and Food Festival and so loved by the townsfolk of Ellwood City can now be devoured year round.
Johnny’s Pizza is now under new ownership and even though some things are changing—the shop is getting a pickup window—many other things are staying the same.
Owners Joe and Randi DeSanzo and Mike and Lori Jeannette want to bring back the nostalgia of the original Johnny’s.
“Our ultimate goal is to restore the Johnny’s standards,” Mike said referring to the Johnny’s that it was under a former owner Johnny Thomas.
Although Mike and Joe plan to keep the regular menu items, they do plan to add specials at some point.
We are probably going to expand the menu and add daily specials,” Mike said. “I definatley want to a lamb dinner special once a week and some additional specialty pizzas, but I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag on that quite yet.”
Joe said they might also add deserts in the future.
But it’s those original specialties that people remember. Thomas’ meatballs and recipes were a bit hit with the community. People simply could not get enough of those meatballs.
Joe said customers have been so happy to see the meatballs return to their original glory.
“We really wanted to restore the original taste and something just as simple as the meatballs because they are what they customers want and they are raving about them.”
Part of that desire to restore the flavors and feel of Johnny’s is personal for the owners. Mike and Joe are family and grew up in Ellwood City. Mike attended Ellwood City School District and Joe went to Riverside. Mike is Joe’s uncle and best friend and they both remember eating at Johnny’s and the family atmosphere. They both have their own families now and want to share that experience with them. Joe has three sons and an infant daughter. Mike’s daughters are grown but still live in the area working in the healthcare field. No matter where family is now, for the partners it all comes back to tradition.
Joe especially remembers spending some of his childhood at Johnnys.
“It’s nostalgic,” he said. “I remember going with my dad.”
In keeping with the nostalgia, but moving into more modern times, Johnny’s will soon feature a pick-up window where customers will place orders and pay online then pickup their order at the pick-up window.
“We are going through code and submitting plans for renovations and will hopefully have the pickup window functional by spring,” Joe said.
They also plan to add delivery service but are seeking reliable drivers at this time to make that possible.
And Mike and Joe are pleased to announce that the dining room is open again. Customers can place orders at the counter then enjoy a meal in the dining room area.
Joe said they have also started to get involved in fundraisers for the local sports teams and plan to continue that with local organizations. And they offer party trays for those special occasion get togethers.
Mike said some might not know this, but Johnny’s has a large bakery business offering fresh baked breads.
He said those fresh baked breads and doughs are what makes Johnny’s stand out from the rest. He said he has a lot of respect for all the eateries around Ellwood City, but he thinks the fresh bread makes a difference.
“We make our own buns daily. There’s nothing like getting your sandwich on a freshly baked bun.”
The owners look forward to continuing to serve the community.
“We want to impact the community and bring back the nostalgia,” Joe said.
Johnny’s is now open on Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. and their weekly hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The restaurant is looking to hire an evening manager as well as delivery drivers.
Follow Johnny’s Pizza on Facebook.
You can view a gallery of menu items and order online at https://www.johnnyspizzashop.com.
Just great news! Maybe this is what Ellwood needs, to “return to the past” so to speak. I’m sure many would agree we need an “old fashioned” dry goods store (sewing notions and maybe fabric)? Remember Islay’s (an old fashioned soda fountain shop). I’m sure everyone reading can think of many more to add!
I have been going to Johnnys since Johnny DeThomas Sr. (a great guy) opened his shop on 7th Street. That was at least 65 years ago. Best of luck to the new owners.