VILLA PARK – It could be said that Dominick’s Pizza & Pasta in Villa Park has helped raise generations of local residents.
“I’ve been eating this pizza for 46 years. I was born and raised on it,” said Ken Witherspoon, 46, of Lombard, who recently stopped by for an early evening dinner.
Maria Lazzara was 15 years old when she started working at her dad’s pizza place two decades ago. Now she owns it with her two brothers, Frank Lazzara, 42, of Addison and Enzo, 33, of Lombard.
She said many of the customers that come in today remember when she was a teenager doing homework or answering the phones.
“Now some of their kids are working here or we’re planning their graduation parties,” said Maria, 36, who lives in Villa Park.
Those loyal customers have followed the restaurant’s tour of Villa Park. The original Dominick’s opened in 1963 on St. Charles Road before moving to Addison Road, a block south of North Avenue.
Dominick’s had already been in town for 30 years when Carmelo Lazzara purchased it in 1993. The Lazzara family produced pizzas out of that little hole-in-the wall joint for more than 10 years, and that’s where the three kids took over the business.
In 2004, the siblings moved it back to St. Charles Road but, this time, to a much larger space in order to meet growing demand. The restaurant went from offering a single table on Addison Road to seating 50 with a full bar at the current location, 139 W. St. Charles Road.
Air conditioning was another major upgrade that came with the move. Frank Lazzara said numerous fans were stationed throughout the old store, where kitchen temperatures reached 125 degrees
A 40-degree drop in the working environment was extremely welcomed, he said.
“It makes you wonder how we lasted like that for 10 years,” Frank said. “But when it’s all you know, you fight through it.”
The pizza itself remains virtually unchanged.
Once their father settled on a recipe 20 years ago, Maria said, there was no reason to change it. She said the pizzas are made with the same core ingredients their father used.
The only real difference about the pizza these days is the available combination of toppings. The barbecue chicken pizza and Italian beef and giardiniera pizza, for instance, weren’t on the menu in 1993.
It’s more than just pizza, too. The restaurant features a full menu of pasta dishes, sandwiches, appetizers, soups, salads and desserts.
It could be said that Dominick’s Pizza & Pasta in Villa Park has helped raise generations of local residents.
“I’ve been eating this pizza for 46 years. I was born and raised on it,” said Ken Witherspoon, 46, of Lombard, who recently stopped by for an early evening dinner.
Maria Lazzara was 15 years old when she started working at her dad’s pizza place two decades ago. Now she owns it with her two brothers, Frank Lazzara, 42, of Addison and Enzo, 33, of Lombard.
She said many of the customers that come in today remember when she was a teenager doing homework or answering the phones.
“Now some of their kids are working here or we’re planning their graduation parties,” said Maria, 36, who lives in Villa Park.
Those loyal customers have followed the restaurant’s tour of Villa Park. The original Dominick’s opened in 1963 on St. Charles Road before moving to Addison Road, a block south of North Avenue.
Dominick’s had already been in town for 30 years when Carmelo Lazzara purchased it in 1993. The Lazzara family produced pizzas out of that little hole-in-the wall joint for more than 10 years, and that’s where the three kids took over the business.
In 2004, the siblings moved it back to St. Charles Road but, this time, to a much larger space in order to meet growing demand. The restaurant went from offering a single table on Addison Road to seating 50 with a full bar at the current location, 139 W. St. Charles Road.
Air conditioning was another major upgrade that came with the move. Frank Lazzara said numerous fans were stationed throughout the old store, where kitchen temperatures reached 125 degrees
A 40-degree drop in the working environment was extremely welcomed, he said.
“It makes you wonder how we lasted like that for 10 years,” Frank said. “But when it’s all you know, you fight through it.”
The pizza itself remains virtually unchanged.
Once their father settled on a recipe 20 years ago, Maria said, there was no reason to change it. She said the pizzas are made with the same core ingredients their father used.
The only real difference about the pizza these days is the available combination of toppings. The barbecue chicken pizza and Italian beef and giardiniera pizza, for instance, weren’t on the menu in 1993.
It’s more than just pizza, too. The restaurant features a full menu of pasta dishes, sandwiches, appetizers, soups, salads and desserts.
