CASTRO VALLEY NEWS news and information For February 2020 HCommunity ere is a recent interview we did with business owner and world champion pizza acrobat, Tony Gemignani. Castro Valley News : How did you get your start at Pyzano’s? Tony Gemignani : My brother had the idea to open when I graduated from high school, so I went and worked alongside him.
Catching up with Tony Gemignani CVN : What precipitated your move from Castro Valley to San Francisco? TG : Back in the day, I was hoping to open a restaurant in Castro Valley before I left for San Francisco and opened up Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. At the time, we were having trouble opening a restaurant with a wood fired oven—and it was one of the most important aspects about my new concept. It just had to have it. That made me look at other cities for opening and eventually led me to North Beach in San Francisco. CVN: What are some of your fond memories of Pyzano’s in Castro Valley? TG : Pyzano’s was a very special place. I saw so many kids grow up, who came in on a weekly basis. I became friends with a lot of local families. I tossed pizzas at schools and churches—and Halloween was always a highlight. I did a lot experimenting in that Pyzano’s kitchen with different ingredients. I remember coming back from Italy or a Food Network competition and bringing home the grand prize. I was even on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno representing Castro Valley. CVN: Would you ever consider opening a restaurant in Castro Valley again? TG: I have thought about it very much and believe I will open something in Castro Valley one day. Over the years, I have looked at a couple locations and it just hasn’t worked out yet. With the current climate of the industry, our plans for expanding have slowed down. Unfortunately, the future is very vague for businesses right now.
