About

Italo Ventura came to the United States from Rome, Italy in 1965. Needing to find work to support himself and his family, Italo went everywhere, but no one wanted to hire the tall Italian immigrant with the broken English accent. Finally, his father-in-law gave him a small corner of his fruit market where Italo, with $1,080 in used equipment, opened his first pizza shop.

Attending Malone College in the mornings and operating his store the remainder of the day and evening, Italo gained a keen understanding of his business and of his customers. From that humble beginning in 1966, Italo’s business soon doubled in size and expanded into two new locations. Relying on hard work, consistently high quality ingredients and a unique recipe for his delicious sauces, the popularity of Italo’s pizzas grew.

In 1975, Italo’s Pizza Shop, Inc. sold its first franchise in Northeast Ohio, helping other people fulfill the same dream that Italo Ventura had envisioned when he started his first pizzeria. Today, Italo still offers the same formula for success to those owner-operators who possess the strong work ethic and dedication to service which has been the hallmark of Italo Ventura’s success.