We had the good fortune of connecting with Frank D’anna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Frank, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Growing up in a first generation Sicilian family from Italy and having a father as a high end chef gave me interest to learn culinary art and inspired me to open my own business with unique recipes from our small hometown Aspra, near Palermo.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Opening a business from scratch is one of the most challenging experiences. Italia Pizza has now been open for 38 years. Over the years there have been many unpredictable challenges including inflation, recession, and product supply shortages. I have overcome these challenges by focusing and adjusting to the situations at hand without compromising the quality of the food. For example, during the recession I created protocols for weighing out and portioning products to be consistent and cost effective. One rule I have is to never compromise the integrity of my product and that is the key to keeping the business successful. We are an authentic family owned restaurant which uses unique family recipes and that sets us apart from other pizzerias.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting San Diego I would take them out on a boat ride in San Diego bay, dock at Bali Hai and have lunch one of their famous Mai Tai’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to my family including my dad (Vittorio D’Anna) for introducing me to the culinary world, sharing old family recipe’s, and mentoring me with love and support for my business.

Website: https://italiapizzaelcajon.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italiapizzaelcajon?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItaliaPizza.ElCajon?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr

Yelp: https://yelp.to/XKNJv_e6_u

Other: https://g.co/kgs/bjCmEPf

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