Our History

In 1914 John and Katrina (mama and papa) Pagliai left their native home in Northern Italy to seek a better life in the New World. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean settling in the small mining town of Zookspur, Iowa.

Their new life in the U.S. held much promise, however cravings for the crisp crust of their “tomato tarts”, savory sauces and homemade sausages weren’t left behind. Fortunately for them, and future generations of Iowans, their family recipes were welcomed by neighbors and friends alike.

In 1953, son Sam served the first Pagliai’s pizzas to the crowd at his neighborhood bar in Ames, Iowa. The round doughy pies took a little convincing for bar patrons to dig in. But when they did, they kept coming back for more. Gradually, the buzz throughout Ames brought increasing crowds and the bar soon gained restaurant status.

Local appetites for pizza were growing, so in 1957, Sam and his brother, Armond opened the first official Pagliai’s Restaurant in Ames’ Campus town. Called,The Pizza House, Sam and brother Armond simply treated customers as they wished to be treated. That, paired with a winning formula of fresh, authentic Italian food permitted even greater growth to Grinnell, Iowa in the mid 1960’s.

Today, grandson Joey Pagliai and wife, Haylee continue the tradition of serving authentic, generations-old Italian family recipes straight from their stonehearth ovens.