“Pizza, beer and atmosphere.”
Izzo’s Pub in Lansing's REO Town neighborhood already has the beer and atmosphere; the pizza component is almost finished.
By the middle of December, Geno Abbey and Mary Izzo will open a 1,200 square foot pizzeria right next to the pub. The pizzeria and pub will be connected by an internal door, so customers can move between the two establishments.
“I wanted to pursue something that I’m passionate about and I’m passionate about pizza,” Abbey says. Abbey learned to make Neapolitan style pizza from a Sicilian family member when he was 18. He’s been working on his technique ever sense. The new pizzeria will commercialize his talents.
The pizza will be made with handmade dough and sauce and high-quality cheese.
“It’s a totally different style of pizza than you see in Mid-Michigan,” Abbey says. “It’s nothing like chain pizza.”
The pizza will be cooked in a stone oven, but before it’s put into the fire, customers can watch Abbey toss the dough in the air and dress the pizzas.
Abbey says he’ll initially need to hire four to five people to staff the pizzeria.
Calzones, hoagies and salad will also be available at Izzo’s Pub & Pizzeria.
Source: Geno Abbey, Izzo’s Pub & Pizzeria
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.