Frankie's Pizza, a family-owned pizzeria, has just hit a remarkable milestone of 70 years, carving out a reputation for its delicious, square-shaped pies. Roxanne and Renee Pasquarella, the daughters of founders Frank and Doreen Pasquarella, keep their parents' legacy alive, serving the same cherished recipes to a devoted clientele.
The story of Frankie's Pizza is as much about family as it is about food. The late Frank Pasquarella, who opened the pizzeria with his wife in 1955, is remembered fondly by his daughters. Roxanne recalls her father's unique way of keeping her safe in the kitchen as a toddler, placing her in a clean garbage can with a pad and pencil to "take orders." Renee reminisced about earning five dollars for chopping a 50-pound bag of onions, a deal she once considered fantastic, according to the Miami Herald.
Frankie's has faced the challenges of time, including the neighborhood's transformation from cow pastures to a bustling seven-lane highway, and even persevered through Hurricane Andrew. There've been a few changes, like adding new toppings such as Mike's Hot Honey to their pizzas, but the heart of the menu remains untouched. "He'd be rolling in his grave at some of these toppings, even ham," Renee joked about her late father's reaction to newer pizza options, as she told the Miami Herald.
The Pasquarella sisters continue to run Frankie's with the same dedication as their parents. Their father's tenacity still inspires them; after suffering a stroke in 1980, he returned to making pizza boxes quicker with one hand than anyone else could with two. "One of the things we knew as we took over was that Frankie’s was his first baby and his first love," Roxanne told the Miami Herald. Frankie's history is detailed in a book "A Love Affair with Frankie's Pizza" by local historian Cesar Becerra, who considers the pizzeria "the last of old Miami."
As Frankie's Pizza continues serving the community, it's not just their past that deserves recognition, but their steadfast commitment to keeping the family spirit and authenticity at the forefront. The Pasquarella story began with a simple honeymoon observation that Miami lacked decent pizza, leading Frank and Doreen to craft an enduring staple from Frank’s mother's recipes for sauce and dough. "They came down here with nothing and created Frankie's," Roxanne told Miami New Times.
