Franchise History

A 50 Year Tradition with Humble Beginnings

In 1954, when Buddy LaRosa opened his first neighborhood restaurant
on Cincinnati's West Side, his Sicilian-born father told him he was crazy. "You gonna sell pizza? ‘Med-i-gans never gonna buy pizza from you," he said. Who could argue with him? After all, in 1954 many Americans had never even heard of pizza.

As sons will do, Buddy went ahead with his plan anyway. So began the story of LaRosa's Italian Restaurant. And it's a bona fide, star spangled Great American Success Story.

The Start of Something Good

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the least likely situations. For Buddy, it was the annual summer festival . As a fundraiser, he made some pizzas using his Aunt Dena's recipe to sell at the festival. They were a huge hit.

This success gave him an idea. He scraped together $400 and, with a couple of partners and his Aunt Dena's recipes, opened "Papa Gino's"- his first pizzeria. It gained a fast following among high school kids and families from the growing western Cincinnati suburbs, who made the place a favorite hang out. Within the first few years, Buddy's partners left the business, and he re-named it LaRosa's.

Growing LaRosa's

In the following decades, Buddy grew his business by franchising to people he knew and trusted. In time, LaRosa's Restaurant grew to serve dozens of neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati, Dayton, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

Entrepreneurial Spirit Drives Innovation

The same entrepreneurial verve that drove Buddy continued to drive LaRosa's. In the early 80's, LaRosa's began delivery service. But, unlike other competitors, LaRosa's delivers virtually everything on its menu...which now includes over 40 items.

Always a leader with its dining rooms, in 1991 LaRosa's led again by launching its "One Number" innovation to build its business off-premises. Customers anywhere in LaRosa's service area can call 513-347-1111 (or 877-347-1111 outside of Greater Cincinnati) for pick up or delivery. Calls go into a customer service center, instead of a busy, noisy kitchen. Customer service representatives focus on taking customer orders quickly and correctly.

And, since 2003, customers anywhere in LaRosa's entire service area can order online for carry out and delivery- at their own pace, and with a chance to peruse and choose from the entire menu.