D’Allesandro’s Pizza Laid-back charm fuels sales at this low-country pizzeria. By Andrew Ousley Pizzerias often rely on a unified theme to bring customers in; positioning themselves as a family-friendly atmosphere or a sports-viewing destination can help create the recognizable image and brand of the restaurant. For years, pizzerias have perfected the art of selling themselves as a side dish to their pizza—a profitable strategy. Occasionally, though, a pizzeria abandons this marketing idea, ditching the flair and detaching itself from any single theme. This kind of pizzeria relies solely on its pizza’s ability to act as a people magnet, and the rest just seems to fall into place. Two Philadelphia-born twentysomethings, fresh out of college and living in Charleston, South Carolina, took the Field of Dreams approach to starting a pizzeria. 58
Not “If you build it, they will come,” but something equally fundamental: “If the pizza is good and the beer is cold, they will come.” And, since 2006, come they have—in droves—to D’Allesandro’s Pizza (229pies.com) in the Elliotborough neighborhood of downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
A Needed Pizza Like many other graduates, brothers Ben and Nick D’Allesandro didn’t know what to do after college. After finishing his studies at the College of Charleston, Ben convinced Nick, a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, that the sparse pizza selection in Charleston created the perfect environment for a business venture.
PMQ Pizza Magazine – The Pizza Industry’s Business Monthly