Belleria Pizza & Pasta first opened in Youngstown, Ohio in 1957 as a small carry-out spot launched by Lena Bell. The restaurant quickly gained in popularity, and, in 1971, was handed down to Bell’s grandsons, who have since grown the chain to 16 locations, launching franchising back in 1999.
And now, a Youngstown native is bringing this classic pizza brand to Spring Hill, near the Shoppes at Avalon.
“I grew up on Belleria as a kid,” franchisee A.J. Barricella told What Now on Wednesday. “We’ve lived in Florida since 2009, and made our home in Spring Hill in 2019. I wanted to bring some flavor from back home down here. And so far, there seems to be quite a bit of buzz.”
Belleria’s menus have featured pizza varieties like The Bella (Topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, sweet peppers and your choice of black olives or onions), the Egg Pizza (A blend of eggs, seasonings and four cheeses for a fluffy souffle-like pizza), and classic varieties like cheese and pepperoni. They’ve also served up a variety of pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiches.
Barricella is longtime friends with principals at Belleria Pizza & Pasta, and he approached them with the idea to bring the chain south.
“I said, ‘Hey, I think we could crush this down here if you guys want to get out of Ohio,’” Barricella said. “And in the end, it was great timing, a great location. Everything fell into place.”
Follow Belleria Pizza of Spring Hill on Facebook to keep up with the opening news.
