Frank’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in Richmond, Virginia, celebrated 35 years in 2026, but second-generation owner Giuseppe Carollo isn’t afraid to keep up with the times. He’s ensuring the pizzeria remains successful for the next generation of owners—because, decades after taking naps on flour bags as a child, he’s now passing pizza skills to his own young sons.
“My parents, Frank and Elizabeth Carollo, are originally from Sicily and met in Brooklyn, where my Dad learned the art of pizza,” Giuseppe explains. “They opened Frank’s in 1991. I took over in 2013, and I’m proud to carry on what they started while continuing to bring new ideas to the restaurant.”
Though New York-style pizza remains the heart of the family business—alongside Sicilian pizza and classic Italian dishes—Giuseppe has started plenty of new traditions (and operational systems) to bring the pizzeria into the modern day. One shining example is his Thursday Detroit-Style Pizza Night. “With crispy edges and sauce on top, it gives us a chance to showcase another style of pizza and gives customers a reason to make Thursday a night at Frank’s,” Giuseppe explains. “That balance—keeping the food and traditions people know us for while giving them something new—is a big part of our story…while passing a pizzeria from one generation to the next, preserving its identity and finding ways to keep growing.”…