Family-owned and craved by its many fans, DeLuca’s Restaurant
is one of Lansing’s most well-known pizza shops and Italian
restaurants. Employing 52 people, the crew is working hard to keep up
with the vegetarian "craze" while celebrating a successful 48 years in
business.
According to excerpts from the article:
DeLuca’s, arguably Lansing’s most famous pizzeria, if not restaurant in general, began life as the Willow Bar in 1960. Started by Pat DeLuca and his brother, it became Pat’s sons’ (Chuck, Tom and John) first and last jobs in their early teens, even though their father tried to dissuade them from coming to work there, let alone buying the restaurant (in 1981).
“He wanted us to go to school and get a good education, but I was stupid,” Chuck said with a dry chuckle. “I went to school, but my heart just wasn’t in school, so I started working here and then all of us did.”
“It just kind of happened,” John broke in. “It just kind of consumed us.”
The DeLucas know better than to mess with success, which is why “the house special has been here from day one."
Read the entire article here.
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