Pete Giampiero Vella is the person he is today because of one crucial and uncompromising tradition: sitting  down to eat as a family. 

Shannon and Pete have worked hard to raise their family with an understanding of what it means to eat together  and serve one another. But as their children grew up, moved out, and started lives of their own, their drive  to spread this message never dwindled. They wanted to continue serving others–to create a family of a  new kind.  

That’s how, in early 2020, they came up with the idea to open up a pizza shop. Fittingly, they’d name it  “Amore Pizza”... for those unfamiliar with Dean Martin’s croon, “amore” translates to English as “love”.   

And as for its location, Arcona was a no brainer for the Vellas. Shannon, who had previously worked for  Thea​ , had already fallen for its close-knit and supportive community. “They become like friends,” she says,  describing her bond with the restaurant’s patrons. “Not only are they customers, but you end up building  relationships with them.”  For Pete, Arcona echoed the warmth of the Italian neighborhood of his past. It was reminiscent of returning  to Sicily after years of absence and being greeted by total strangers who recognized him as his father’s  son. ​Crossroads​ , on the other hand, reminded him of the small businesses scattered about town–one  baker, a few pharmacists and markets, and all of them run by a truly familiar face. 

For both Pete and Shannon, the “quality over quantity” mindset clearly permeates their personal ethos, And this is exactly what the we hope to extend to the neighborhood. It’s our family to your family.

That’s ​Amore​.