About
Paisans is an Italian word for friends, but to us, it also means family. Family has always been at the center of Paisans’ beginning and the driving force behind its success. Paisans Pizza was started by Luigi, an immigrant to the United States, in 1985. In a small corner store in Cicero, Illinois, Luigi started making pizzas out of a household kitchen oven. Shortly after, Luigi was joined by his son Pete, fulfilling orders one at a time using hand-written tickets hanging from clothespins in their tiny kitchen.
Pete spent the next 30 years expanding the business, while also refining the Paisans brand and menu. He did this while always remembering what got us here: our famous pizza and award-winning wings.
Staying true to the idea of family, Pete brought in his boys to help him take the Paisans concept to the next level. Mentoring his sons in their new roles, Pete involves them in every aspect of the restaurant business including designing, developing, and building each of the Paisans’ locations. Pete makes sure the boys focus on all of the finer details, from customer service to pepperoni placement to the unique design details at all of our stores.
