Andrew Bellucci’s on legacy, consistency, and balance

I sat down with Matthew Katakis from Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria in Astoria, Queens at PizzaCon Philly. Matthew shared the legacy of the late Andrew Bellucci, a pioneering figure in the pizza world known for bringing NYC’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s, back to life and creating his unforgettable clam pie. Matthew opens up about what it means to carry on Andrew’s vision, the importance of consistent quality, and finding balance through it all. 

Check out the full video or transcript below to hear Matthews’s perspective and advice for shop owners new and seasoned. 

Transcript

Sabrina D’Alessandro:

I'm Sabrina here with Slice. We are at PizzaCon in Philly today. I am joined in the hot seat by…

Matthew Katakis: 

Matthew Katakis of Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria in Astoria, Queens.

Sabrina: 

So happy to have you here at the convention. What brought you to PizzaCon this year?

Matthew: 

Pleasure to meet you, too. And, it's my first time at PizzaCon and I was just wanting to come and see a bunch of old friends and catch up, share some knowledge, and have some nice discussions here.

Sabrina: 

Could you tell us a bit about the Andrew Bellucci’s story?

Matthew: 

Andrew Bellucci was a big figure in the pizza world. He basically was the reason Lombardi's came back from the dead. Lombardi's, one of the oldest pizzerias in New York City — coal fired — and he brought it back in the late 80s or 90s. 

He had some troubles along his way. He had a checkered past. He gave up on pizza, then came back to work for Joe's opening on the West Coast and then overseas. He opened pizzerias in Malaysia.

Around COVID time, he came to Astoria and opened up a pizzeria, which got everybody talking again. And I met him around that time in 2020 when he opened the pizzeria. But then a year later, he broke up with his partner, and he wrote a manifesto on Instagram saying, “Hey, I'm leaving this guy.” And I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. 

I had a pizzeria nine blocks away called Slice with a couple fellows, and I wasn't getting along with them. And then, when the time was right, we got together and we opened the pizzeria and we became actually quite known for his legendary fresh shucked clam pie.

Unfortunately, Andrew Bellucci passed on May 31, 2023. He had a massive heart attack in the restaurant while actually making a clam pie, which sounds crazy, but that's exactly what happened.

Sabrina:

How do you keep that legacy going for him?

Matthew: 

There's good days and bad days. I mean he's everywhere in the shop. So the best thing I can tell you is when, when a fresh hot pie, which I call a New York City classic pie that reminds me of my childhood when it comes out, I can't resist it. So I used to tell Bellucci, “Hey, if you see me eating that second slice, that means it's good.”

Now I feel the same way. If that pie comes on, I eat that slice and I go for a second or third. I mean, we're doing the right thing,

Sabrina:

As a pizza shop owner, it's busy, it's hectic, it's hard to get away. How do you find that balance?

Matthew: 

Taking care of our personal health. He died of a massive heart attack. He wasn't taking care of his health. He ignored some pain. So my advice is I'm going to be 51 this year. Don't ignore your body. And especially in the restaurant world, it’s a lot of stress. So the minute you feel ill or you know something's wrong, go to the doctor.

I’m capable of eating, you know, up to three slices, maybe more. 

Sabrina: 

When they're that good. 

Matthew: 

When they're that good. And I'm not lying. I mean, I'm telling you the truth. You'll come and see me in the shop.

I try to stay active, so try to do those 10,000 steps, get out. I have kids. I want to go out, enjoy the sun and all that stuff.

So you have to make some time to get out of the shop and balance. It's all about balance.

Sabrina:

I'm sure you have tons of regulars that come by. What is the environment like in the shop that you want people to feel?

Matthew:

I just want them to come in, and, and feel like he's there.

He was half French, hence Andrew – Bellucci and half Italian. So he added this French flair to the dishes, especially the clam pie that we do. There's parsley in it and fines herbs that he would do. And all the toppings are very special. Everything is fresh.

The most beautiful thing is when kids come in and they taste the pizza. I know we're doing something. Well a lot of parents tell me they don't eat this, they don't need that. But they want to come here and eat this food. So that makes me extremely happy.

Sabrina:

You just renamed the top 25 with the New York Times. What does that type of accomplishment mean to you?

Matthew: 

Huge shout out to the New York Times. Thank you to Nikita Richardson who basically acknowledged what we're doing.

Just maintaining that recipe and technique that Andrew put out there. And it's being meticulous. So I pride myself on having one of the cleanest pizzerias in New York City. And then it's all about signs, following recipes and doing everything repetitive.

Consistency is key. And, that's how we maintain the quality. So it was quite an honor to be named on that list, for the clam pies specifically. And it was invented in Connecticut. We've been to Frank Pepe's. They do a great job. And just to be in that conversation, as Andrew would say, is amazing.

If you’ve got passion you'll be successful and just keep at it. That's my advice to anybody. Anybody that's trying to do this, you got to keep at it, make sure you're serving yourself. Branding. Always be branding yourself and good things will come.

Sabrina:

My final question for you, Matthew, is that a lot of people see the finished product. Beautiful. Done. They don't always realize what goes into it. What is the biggest sacrifice as a pizza shop owner? The biggest struggle that you've faced just staying on top of the business?

Matthew:

The way I've set up the business, it's all systems. So I make my life easier where I can come in and see exactly if things are being followed.

So the biggest thing that happens is some people sometimes when you have a staff member that they're not keeping up to the standards and it’s a little bit laziness or forgetfulness or whatever. So that's my biggest thing. Like after installing systems to be able to come in there and immediately point out what's going wrong, because I want to stay at the highest standard.

And once you have your recipe, once you have your technique, once you have your systems in, it should be self-sufficient. I become more of a motivating force with my staff, making sure I'm like their psychologist, “Hey, how are you? Why aren't you smiling? I need that smile when the customers come in through the door.”

Sabrina:

People can taste the love that you put into the pizza. It stands out. I know that Andrew's very proud of the legacy that you're continuing on. Thank you so much for talking to Slice today and giving us your perspective. 

Matthew: 

Pleasure meeting you. Thank you guys. Thank you.

Andrew Bellucci’s legacy lives on through Matthew’s dedication to craft, quality, and community. His story is an inspiring reminder of the power of passion in the pizza business.