Beginnings: Ciao Pizza Opens In Springfield

Ciao Pizza Says "Hello" At The Crossroads

Published November 26, 2007

Ciao Pizza
3342 Gateway Street
Phone: 505-8487
Open: 11 am - 11 pm
Monday - Saturday
11 am - 9 pm Sunday

The Business: Designed to offer the experience of an authentic Italian pizzeria, Ciao Pizza serves "made from scratch" pizza, calzone, and pasta, along with soups, salads, and desserts. Pizzas prepared with their traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese -- topped with a variety of ingredients -- are baked in a classic wood-fired oven. The lunch menu includes six, 8" pizzas priced from $6.95 to $7.95; for dinner, twelve, 12" pizzas are priced from $8.75 to $14.75. Optional toppings are also offered for "create your own" pizzas. Three pasta al forno (ravioli, manicotti, cannelloni) are featured at lunch with addition of zita and gnocchi dishes for dinner. Lunch calzones include a classic and giardinere with paesano and affumicato added for dinner. The pizzeria's beverage menu includes an extensive wine list (five of the twenty-three by the glass) and beers on tap as well as by the bottle. Desserts are made by the Excelsior's award-winning pastry chef, Milka Babich.

The Location: The new Crossroads location provides a high-traffic site in a fast-growing Springfield neighborhood which had no restaurants serving traditional Italian cuisine. Located next to the Cabo Grill and Starbucks and across the driveway from Cafe Yumm!, the corner restaurant is easy to find and offers ample parking in front of the building. The many new offices, hotels, and the hospital opening next year in the Gateway area are expected to provide a steady flow of customers for the restaurant.

The Owner: Maurizio Paparo and is brother, Elio (who lives in Italy) own the new pizzeria. Maurizio has over 30 years of experience in creating Italian cuisine and running restaurant businesses. He currently owns the Excelsior Inn & Ristorante Italiano in Eugene and Brindiamo Catering at the Emerald Valley Event Center in Creswell. His first venture in the area was Marco Gelato which he began in Eugene in 1982 and managed for several years.

The last in a family of nine children, Maurizio was born in Naples, Italy. He was "blessed to grow up in a humble, poor family that cooked together, making food from scratch". His family moved to Florence when he was ten years old where he went a hospitality school and later worked with premier chefs in the city before coming to the United States.

The Inspiration: Motivated by his family (especially his nine-year old son who loves pizza) and a desire to create a casual Italian restaurant like back home in Naples, Maurizio started Ciao Pizza ("Ciao" means "hello" in Italian). He wants customers to have a "welcome to our family" dining experience where good friendship and great food is shared.

Their Employees: Jake Antonini, who previously worked at the Excelsior Ristorante Italiano, is managing a staff of 15 full and part-time people. Many of the employees have trained at the Excelsior and the owner's catering business.

The Atmosphere: In a new building, Maurizio has created a "modern nostalgic" room with a medieval stone oven as its centerpiece. Built from Montana rock by local stonemason, Jeff Putnam, the traditional wood and gas-fired oven preserves the flavor of ingredients in their pizzas.
A long, half-moon shaped bar fronts the large oven and dining tables are arranged around the perimeter of the room. Walls painted in warm colors hold large paintings of scenes from Naples, Venice, and the Italian countryside.

The First Pizza: According to Maurizio, "the story of pizza's origin begins in 1889 when Queen Margherita, accompanied by her husband Umberto I of Savoia, set out on an inspection of their Italian kingdom. When in Naples, the Queen was offered by a "Pizzaiolo" (pizza maker) a special pizza for her visit. The flat bread was topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil, representing the colors of the Italian flag. It was called the "Pizza Margherita" in her honor. The rest is history" (And the "Margherita" is one Ciao Pizza's featured pizzas.)

Notable Quote: "The best business strategy is to focus on the people, not on success."

-- Todd Peterson, The Springfield Beacon