A pizza party 75 years in the making is happening this weekend.
Pottsville Pizzeria, arguably a contender for best and definitely most unique pizza in the Pottsville area, is hosting a birthday bash for the ages.
And we, the lucky locals who’ve feasted on the delicious square pizza for generations, are the guests of honor.
The Pottsville Pizzeria 75th anniversary party is Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., at the store on S. Centre St. in Mount Carbon.
During the party, Pottsville Pizzeria will be running a special where customers can get a slice and a half-pint Guers drink for just $1.75. A DJ and other fun activities are planned to give this a true party atmosphere on Saturday.
Drawings for some Pottsville Pizzeria merch – hats, shirts, and Christmas ornaments – will happen hourly or so.
Some special throwback items will be making appearances during the 75th anniversary party, too.
Yes, the iconic original boxes will be back for anyone who takes home a pie on the anniversary day. Scott Kline, manager at Pottsville Pizzeria, tells The Canary he stashed away about 1,000 of the original boxes when the design was retired back in 2022.
Beef barbecue is also making a special appearance on the menu, too, for the first time in years.
Consistency, Simplicity are the Keys to Success at Pottsville Pizzeria
You don’t stay in business in this area – especially in a food business – by accident. And a business that’s been open for 75 years and continues to enjoy incredible success as Pottsville Pizzeria does, certainly has some keys to that success.
But those keys are no big secret. It’s simplicity and consistency. Keeping the product as close to as it was when the business first started way back in 1949 in a basement on Prospect St. in Pottsville is also very important.
Back then, as the story goes, Mrs. Paparazo prepared the products in her basement and served customers out of their home. Eventually, a store was opened on N. Centre St. in Pottsville and a second location – the current site – opened in Mount Carbon.
Sure, the pepperoni isn’t cured and the cheese not made on site these days but the cheese is blended at the Mount Carbon store. The dough and sauce are mixed there, too.
A Pottsville Pizzeria pie today likely tastes the same as it did in the 90s, the 70s, and the 50s. And people still can’t get enough of it.
In fact, it’s a place where Schuylkill County ex-pats come first when they return home for a visit. It tastes like home.
The reason things stay the same over the years and why people come back to that familiar taste of the square pie is likely Kline, who has worked at Pottsville Pizzeria since 1985.
“I just really liked it,” he says in response to a question on why he’s worked at Pottsville Pizzeria for nearly 40 years. “I really enjoy the people, working with the public and Mr. (Lou) Paparazo was good to me.”
Earlier that day when we visited, Kline says someone drove three hours to the store, from Delaware, for some Pottsville Pizzeria.
Carrying on a Legacy
Kline says the business is now seeing its fourth generation of customers since it first opened. And there are no plans to change much for the future. The company’s toyed with the idea of adding new products to the menu but never did. Why mess with success?
Outside of pizza, the hot ham and cheese subs remain extremely popular.
Lou Paparazo, the longtime owner and son of the creator of Pottsville Pizzeria, died in 2012. Kline says he worked on growing the business up until a month or so before his death.
Kline adds that Paparazo’s wife spoke with him recently and said, “Lou would be proud” of the way the business has carried on since his passing.
“It’s just an amazing product that Lou’s mother came up with and it’s been running ever since,” Kline says.
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