BIZ OF THE MONTH – 35 Years Of Piccolo’s Pizza & Pasta House . . . Celebrating Culinary Excellence In Every Bite
A west-end Italian staple in the Windsor community is celebrating 35 years in operation as a popular restaurant, this summer.
Piccolo’s Pizza & Pasta House Ltd. is a full-service Italian restaurant that seats 70, with many specialties, including antipasto and charcuterie tables, along with specialized catering for weddings and corporate events.
“Our most popular dishes are our Chicken Parmigiana and Veal Con Fungi,” notes Owner Cindy Piccolo. “Something that has never changed throughout the years is the real butter and mounds of parmigiano we put on Piccolo’s famous Garlic Fingers. Many have tried to copy us, but we hold the original recipe.”
Located at 2135 Tecumseh Road West, Piccolo’s opened August 1, 1989.
“We began renting the property and cleaned it up after it being empty for over five years,” explains Piccolo. “We opened the doors to the public on November 18, 1989 for our first service.”
Throughout the years, they’ve kept their consistency and huge portion sizes.
“Customer service is our number one priority, making our customers feel like they are always welcome and part of the family and community we’ve grown,” Piccolo describes.
And their clientele is generational — truly one big family.
“We began when couples my age were dating and now we are catering their children’s weddings and grandchildren’s birthdays,” she points out.
The Al Forno (casserole style) section of the menu is also very popular, with dishes that come out of a 600-degree oven, baked and bubbling for diners to enjoy.
“Baked Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Alfredo, Gnocchi Formaggi, Crispy Chicken Caesar Tortellini, just to name a few,” Piccolo mentions.
Her business experience is self-taught. She began with old-world recipes that she adapted and changed throughout the years — but they never changed the core flavours of their traditional sauces.
“My son (Adrian Piccolo) is now bottling those flavours up so families can have a traditional Italian experience in the comfort of their own home and kitchen,” Piccolo indicates, adding his sauce company is called Nonna’s Sauce Co. and bottles are sold in their restaurant and locally at Willow Tree Market in Kingsville.
Piccolo says her inspiration has changed throughout the decades. First, in the ’90s, she recalls it being an adventure and “seeing if we could make it against some of Windsor’s best restaurants at the time.”
“In the early 2000s my mother, Irene Dereniowski, was our backbone to our service, which made everyone feel part of the family,” Piccolo remembers fondly. “Now, I have the flexibility and freedom to try out new recipes and catering styles while maintaining the traditional Piccolo’s style.”
In 1989 when the business opened, they had just seven employees. Now Piccolo employs 23. They are also able to cater corporate events and weddings ranging from 10 to 2,000 people.
“We do traditional family style service on platters and gourmet bagged lunches, or fresh BBQ at your site for corporate employee appreciation days,” she describes.
According to Piccolo, their flavours, exceptional service and years of dedication to the customer base they have created, speaks for itself when it comes to reflecting on their 35 years of success.
“We truly appreciate each and every customer and try our hardest to make sure each experience is a positive one to remember,” she expresses. “Being 35 years in business feels like a major accomplishment. Surviving through COVID was our biggest challenge, but we’ve held on strong and couldn’t have done it without the loyalty and support of our customers.”
Even though the years have flown by, Piccolo has no thoughts of retirement anytime soon.
“Our city is so fortunate to have so many amazing chefs and independent restaurants,” she comments, and emphasizes: “Our community needs to support local!”
To view the menu and hours of operation, refer to their website. To keep up with their latest news check their social media page.
