550 Pizzeria LAREDO, TX

Opening her own pizzeria was Janet Duran’s childhood dream—and not even a global pandemic in one of the country’s worst-hit states could stop her.

BY RICK HYNUM

Janet Duran has dreamed of running her own pizzeria since she was young—very young. We’re talking six or seven years old. When her dream finally came true in June, the timing wasn’t exactly perfect, with the coronavirus running rampant in Texas and many restaurateurs struggling to keep their doors open. But Duran wasn’t going to let a pandemic get in her way. And neither were her many supporters, who showed up in hordes for the grand opening of 550 Pizzeria in her hometown of Laredo.