Sciulli’s Pizza: A family legacy
The Sciulli family’s pizza journey started in 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when brothers Antonio, Gabriel and Oriente Sciulli opened Sciulli’s Pizza. Antonio’s sons Eutimio (Timmy) and Luciano were just five years old when they started working at their family’s pizza shop. Today, the sons continue to carry out the legacy.
In an interview with Timmy, he shares that his earliest memories revolve around pizza. He recalls how he and Luciano became the “cool kids” in school when they brought fresh pizza for their classmates. This was their first introduction to the joy that pizza can bring to a community.
Though growing up in the shop meant hard work and long hours, he credits those years with shaping who he is today. Working in the shop taught him more than just how to make good pizza — he learned how to manage money, interact with customers, and handle a business responsibly. What started as a family trade quickly became a calling. By the time Timmy earned his business degree, he already had the hands-on experience to run a successful shop.
The original Sciulli’s was cash only. As the world started to innovate, so did the pizza industry. The older generation of Sciulli’s were hesitant to adapt to technology. However, Timmy saw an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss. After much convincing, the older family members finally agreed to switch to Slice online ordering and payments — a move that made them competitive and ultimately quadrupled their sales.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, an entire new world of struggles hit the pizza industry. Their main customer base — college students and hospital workers — were unreachable. With all of the regulations, it was difficult to survive as a family-owned business.
One day, in an effort to give back to the community, former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden placed an $8,000 online order through Slice to deliver pizzas to the local hospital. Due to the regulations, the hospital would not allow large, shareable pizzas to be delivered. Instead, Sciulli’s got creative and made 600 personal sized pies — a solution that would feed many hungry frontline workers. Sciulli’s dedication to their community and mission to bring joy to others was clear during one of the darkest times in history.
Coming out of covid made Sciulli’s stronger and equipped to handle the constant challenges of operating a shop. Timmy says the hardest part of owning a pizzeria are the challenges outside of his control.Whether it's the rising costs of goods or learning how to match supply and demand, the brothers have learned to order in bulk and be strategic when working with vendors. He says the most important quality in building a resilient shop is having a “figure it out” mentality.
What is clear from speaking with Timmy is that the joys of owning a shop outweigh the struggles. The Sciulli brothers love to serve their community through the connection of food.
What it all comes down to is the people you care about the most, and how hard you will work to see them succeed. Timmy sat his family down after barely staying afloat during the pandemic and promised “this will never happen again.” His final advice to shop owners: don’t ever give up on your dreams and your business with the people you love.
