
<p>For 40 years, Gino and Joe’s pizzeria has served its community; it is the rare kind of small business that greets customers by name and knows their order before they ask, and they provide pizza every week for Charles W. Baker High School’s home games is the shop’s long-standing tradition.</p>


Chris Beal, of Liverpool, New York, drives out of his way for carryout at Gino and Joe's. Since 1984, the restaurant has served up pizza, wings, calzones, and other Italian staples for the folks in Baldwinsville, New York, building a loyal following in the decades since.

Linda D. Epstein

Mike Roy

“It’s like a family. They call you by your name and know your order before you ask,” says Deb Miller. “There’s no other pizza place I go to,” says CJ Miller. The mother and son come to Gino and Joe’s every week- sometimes for lunch and dinner. They are greeted by the staff and spend 10 minutes chatting before placing the order. Deb says when her family comes to visit from out of state the pizzeria is the one place they must eat at before leaving New York.

Cordellia, Thomas and Rockwell, students at Charles W. Baker High School, gather around for lunch before heading to the football game. “It’s the best pizza place in town!” says Rockwell.

“We’re very family oriented here,” says Frank Scollo, general manager at Gino and Joe’s. “We greet everyone as they walk in and we’ve gotten to know a lot of people.” Gino and Joe’s can crank out over 200 pizzas a day during the weekend, with game days usually adding another 70 pizzas on top of that. Frank makes them all fresh, keeping up with other orders placed over the counter or on the phone, and gets them out the door promptly to the pleasure of the crowd at the field.

“This is the only pizza shop in New York built entirely with duct tape,” jokes Matt Coomey. “I can count on Frank and my coworkers; they’ve been there for me and that’s vice versa.” He’s worked at the shop doing deliveries full-time nearly 10 years, Matt makes over 70 deliveries a day, many to regular customers.

“I really enjoy interacting with our customers. They’re very loyal, everyday people. I see some people every day for deliveries, and they’re awesome,” says Matt Coomey. Matt checks in with the parking attendant at Charles W. Baker High School, with 40 pizzas in the trunk of his Ford. It’s the first of several deliveries he’ll make to the high school’s concession stand during the game.

“I’ve delivered to the school a ton,” says Matt Coomey. “I’ve lived in Baldwinsville all my life, I’ll go out to other places but home is home.” Gino and Joe’s provides food to plenty of events like senior night and the prom, to help make sure the students can get everything they need in one place and not get into trouble in town.

Mike and Tina Fiore share a slice of Gino and Joe’s pizza during the varsity football game at Charles W. Baker High School. Working with schools and businesses in town came about naturally for Gino and Joe’s. “Teachers come in and ask if we can help, and of course we say yes because we like to support the community, to support our own,” says Frank.

Laurie Butler jokes she’s worked a hundred years at the concession stand at Charles W. Baker High School. She says it’s actually closer to nine. She serves the students everything from Gatorade to popcorn to plenty of slices of cheese and pepperoni from Gino and Joe’s.

Tom Donaldson helps his daughter, Natalie, with her slice of Gino and Joe’s pizza at the Charles W. Baker High School Varsity football game. Gino and Joe’s has over two dozen plaques or letters of appreciation from different schools, businesses, and other organizations in Baldwinsville, thanking them for sponsorship.

The Alexia Fall Workshop

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A SLICE FOR BALDWINSVILLE

Produced by

David Négron

Coached by

Linda D. Epstein

Mike Roy