A beloved New York-style pizza shop is gearing up to open its third location, marking a homecoming for its owners.
Pizza A Modo Mio, owned by Michael Pitera, will soon open at 1937 Clements Ferry Road, with plans to welcome customers next year. Now with two brick-and-mortar locations in Charleston and Hollywood, the pizzeria first built its following as a food truck.
“When we started the food truck, we started at Sweetwater. It started out of the apartment complex where we were living. We were doing pizza Fridays, we would make pizza for the residents. Then, we started going to all the neighboring complexes down Clements Ferry Road. It’s a full circle. That’s what I love most about this location,” Pitera told What Now Charleston.
The new spot will mirror the Hollywood location, serving breakfast in the morning and pizza in the evening.
“We’re going to copy our Hollywood location. It’s going to be an Italian cafe breakfast joint from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., and then from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. it’s going to be our pizzeria,” he said.
For breakfast, the shop will serve New York bagels shipped in and baked fresh each morning. Pitera said customers love the everything bagel, which can be topped with one of six cream cheese flavors like scallion or cinnamon honey. The menu will also feature pastries and a curated coffee program.
The pizza joint uses authentic New York dough for its pies, serving up both classic and specialty options alongside Detroit, Roman and Sicilian-style pizzas. The menu also features garlic knots, Grandma’s traditional meatballs, wings, salads, rolls and calzones. To top it all off, guests can indulge in fresh cannolis and tiramisu.
“New York style is thin crust with the crust on the edge. We have Chicago tavern, which is no crust at all–it’s cracker thin. We have Detroit, which is baked in a pan with a cheese crust on the outside, melted cheese that hardens. We have our Roman, which is from Rome, Italy. That’s a very light, airy, personal pizza,” Pitera said
He continued, “We want to create an experience. We want someone to come in and taste pizza from around the world.”
The shop recently earned top honors, winning The Post and Courier’s Charleston Choice Award for 2025 and ranking fifth for Best Cheese Pizza in the World at the 2024 International Pizza Expo and Conference.
“I think when we do our grand opening and we open up fully–seeing those original customers is going to be the most exciting,” he said.
The shop hasn’t announced an official opening date yet, but Pitera is aiming for January. Visitors can check its website and follow on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include an official interview with Michael Pitera.]
