Spizzico’s New Location in Edgewater, Maryland
At the end of 2019, we were able to open our second location in Edgewater, Maryland. We are excited to get involved and grow in a new community. It was something we have talked about for a while but didn’t really plan on until the location became available. Our new location is at 9 Lee Airpark Drive Suite B100 in the Village at Lee Airpark Shopping Center. When we were contacted about the space, we realized our second location could become a reality. Gino, Sal, and Enrico, the owners, contact a childhood friend and previous business partner, Rosario Lubrano to come to help him. We sat down with Rosario to ask him about Spizzico and the new location.
Come by for pizza, pasta and more at Spizzico Italian Kitchen in Edgewater, Maryland.
Q: Hi Rosario! Gino mentioned you were good friends, can you tell us how you met?
Hi. Yes, Gino and I, along with Sal and Enrico, grew up in the same small town in Italy. A place where you either worked in the restaurant business or were a Merchant Marine. His family had a restaurant, and my father was a Merchant Marine. I moved to Florida around the end of 1005 to the beginning of 1996. There I started working at restaurants. I mainly stayed with Italian cuisine and pizza restaurants, because that is what I love. It wasn’t until ’09 that Gino and I got together on the idea of opening a restaurant together in Florida. He lived in Maryland, but we were still able to open a pizza place together.
Q: That’s awesome. What made you come to Maryland then?
Running a restaurant, even with a partner, is a full-time job. You have to really have a passion for what you do. And even though I love working in restaurants, running the place took its toll. After nearly a decade of running it, we had the opportunity to sell the business. It was doing well, but I needed a change of pace. I was ready to take on something different. Gino called me up and said, well we had been talking some time about it, and he asked if I could come help.
Q: That’s a good friend. How has it been so far since the new location opened?
It’s hard work getting a new restaurant up and running. It takes the right staff, implementing processes, and creating consistency. That is consistency across the food, customer experience, and atmosphere. We still want people to have the Spizzico experience in Edgewater, just like they would have in Arnold.
Q: What is your favorite part about working here so far?
The potential. It’s the hope that what you are doing now will help grow the business in the long term. I also love working with our staff. We have a great team. Even though I am a manager, I like working beside them and helping them figure out solutions with them, not for them. Also, I love gnocchi and we have a great recipe.
Q: Speaking of the team, we also have Freddie Stevens here. Freddie, can you tell me a little about yourself?
I started at the Arnold location 2 years ago. A friend of mine, that I had worked with previously, just started at Spizzico and called me up. He told me to come to work here. I did. Now I am helping out with the new location. It made sense because I have lived in Edgewater for 4 years. It’s been a great experience and why I haven’t left.
Thank you, Freddie and Rosario, for your time! Next time you stop in, make sure to say hi. If you haven’t been, please come in! We offer the same menu at both locations. This includes our very popular Monday $8 large cheese pizza special. Don’t forget to check out our catering options too. To stay in the know, please follow us on Facebook.
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