Family business marks four successful decades in the service industry, talking about their journey from Boston to becoming one of Miami's best places to eat Casola's Pizza Celebrates 40 Years of Serving Some of the Most Famous Pizzas, Subs, and Chicken Wings
Small businesses are the backbone of any community, and their success is a true indicator of the value and worth their communities assign to them. Anyone who's looked for a great pizza in town knows that Casola's Pizzeria is one of the best places to eat in Miami.
As the very successful business marks 40 years in the industry, we sat down with the owners for a conversation about what sets them apart and what the secret to their success is and learned so much more!
A business rooted in family and community
The business was founded in 1981 by Carlos Casola, his brother, the late Ramon Casola, and Agustin Boñuel. Carlos and Agustin have been running the business since Ramon's passing away in 2006 of a stroke, and it was the biggest factor to impact the business since it was founded.
At the core of it, however, Casola's Pizzas has remained a family-run institution that has been serving the local community for as long as it's been around. Young people, partygoers, foodies, and entire neighborhoods have been flocking to their establishment for a taste of the most incredible Italian food, including their world-famous thin-crust pizza and their ingenious croissant sandwiches.
From Boston to Miami making a mark on the community
The business started off as a small, 5 ft. counter with a tiny, constricted preparation area that included an oven and no parking, going on to now a massive restaurant with expansive space. The restaurant expanded in 1995 into the neighboring location, which previously belonged to a 711 yet parking remained a consistent issue and affected their growth and revenues.
For the first 25 years of their business, parking was always an issue despite the huge number of customers they brought in. Eventually, however, they could get more of the surrounding property, build proper seating, and accommodate the massive influx of customers day in and day out.
For the last 15 years, they've continued to expand their menu and serve more young people than ever, offering customers more and more options beyond pizzas and subs.
But it's still interesting to think about how they ended up in Miami in the first place.
Carlos tells us how every time he'd fly from Boston to Miami to see his friend, he'd notice that Miami barely had any sub shops because it was all mostly Cuban sandwiches, and that's where the idea came from. Using his and Augustin's experience of working in Boston's culinary industry, they took the leap and brought something totally new to Miami: the Philly steak sub.
How they've adapted with the times but stayed true to their work
However what's most remarkable about their ability to serve clients has been their commitment. It's only since the pandemic that the partners have been able to adapt their decades-old model and make use of technology and services such as Uber Eats and Door Dash to make work easier for them.
The loss of business due to the pandemic hit hard, but they came back stronger by substituting traditional dine-in and regular Brickell office delivery with pick up and touch less delivery which helped gain back the business they had lost. This has allowed them to close two hours earlier and given Carlos a chance to work 20 hours less a week which is 10% less than before, without harming his gross income. That in itself, he feels, is a major win for his personal life and well-being, and it is a well-deserved break he welcomes.
Previously they were open until 1 AM on Sunday to Thursday and until 5AM on the weekend. Now they close at midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 3AM on the weekend. They're still central to Miami's partygoers, and many, including us, have stopped over for some pizza and their wings (and beer) late at night.
Miami locals truly could not have survived their party years without their iconic New York Style pizzas, thin-crust pizzas, subs, and wings.
Follow their Instagram page @casolaspizza to show your support and stay tuned with important updates and information they share, including great new menu items, hot-sellers, events, and much more. Their website also shares a ton of important information, including the complete menu.
Calle Ocho News is sharing tons of recommendations for all the best places to eat in Miami, along with important updates and information about the community. Learn all about the things you must do in Miami, as well as ways to support small businesses and help the community grow. Stay tuned for more exciting content.
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