Anthony started his pizza business, Giardini’s, 32 years ago in search of control over his life. Anthony was born in Italy but moved to the United States 42 years ago. At the time, there were not many pizza restaurants in the area and Anthony saw a good opportunity to open up a pizzeria in Carroll Gardens. Anthony had always wanted to own his business and what better business to own than a pizzeria, he thought. Giardini’s (much to my surprise) is not actually named after a family, rather the word “Giardini” means garden in Italian, referencing the neighborhood, Carroll Gardens.

Anthony’s favorite part of his job is interacting with customers and getting to see the satisfaction on their faces and hear their feedback on his creation. Anthony imports many of his ingredients from Italy and says that’s what makes his pizza so special. Over his 32 years in the business, Anthony has tried to change the recipe of his classic slice as little as possible, but he does have some specialty items. For example, his grandma slices are made with 3 different types of cheeses.

Operating Giradini’s has taught Anthony how to be understanding towards customers. He has learned how to accommodate different palettes and make a slice that works for everybody. From working on his own, Anthony has learned the value of hard work, and he strives every day to make his pizza the best it can be. Anthony himself still eats his own pizza every single day and never gets tired of it. Anthony mentioned to me that his pizza has been all over the country. He recalled a story of a lifelong customer who had moved to Florida for retirement. On her deathbed, she reached out to Anthony and requested for him to send his pizza to her so she could try it one last time. Now Anthony sees retirement in his near future but isn’t quite sure what he wants to do yet once he does. For now, though, Giardini’s will continue to be a staple of Carroll Gardens and a spot for people of all ages to come in and enjoy some Pizza.