Russo’s New York Pizzeria Brings a Taste of Italy to Clearwater

CLEARWATER, Fla., Oct. 31, 2016 -- Finally, a place you can feel proud to take Nonna! Russo’s New York Pizzeria is debuting its first restaurant in the Clearwater area, opening its doors mid-November.

Offering authentic New York-style pizza and traditional Italian dishes made with high-quality, fresh ingredients, local Clearwater and Pinellas County residents will finally experience a true taste of New York in their own neighborhood without taking a flight to the Big Apple. To celebrate, Russo’s will be offering daily grand opening specials and contests throughout November. Please visit the restaurant Facebook page at www.facebook.com/russosclearwater for complete details.

“We are thrilled to bring Russo’s NY Pizzeria to Clearwater and Pinellas County,” said Mike Daner, President of Daner Fine Restaurants and the Tampa Bay Area developer for Russo’s Restaurants. “We love the food and believe it is a great fit for the Tampa Bay market. As a hybrid concept, we will be serving lunch in a fast casual model while offering full service during dinner hours, along with delivery and catering capabilities throughout the day. Let our family serve your family!”

Russo’s signature taste is due in no small part to Founder and CEO Anthony Russo’s commitment to his ingredients. Chef Russo’s passion for food is deeply rooted in his Italian heritage, and traditional family recipes passed down from generations. His love for cooking developed from years spent in his grandmother’s kitchen as a child and working in his parents’ Italian restaurant and now he brings those same authentic flavors to his own restaurant. On a never-ending quest to serve the best-tasting New York-style pizzas and traditional Italian dishes, Chef Russo returns to Italy every year to source ingredients from local producers for his restaurants around the world.

The Clearwater restaurant will feature a brick oven along with an open-air kitchen as a focal point for the space, which seats 80 guests for lunch and dinner. An extensive family-style menu with options like Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Lasagna, and Chicken Marsala are available for in-house dining and delivery. Chef Russo’s signature ingredients are all natural with no preservatives, no additives and zero trans-fats. As promised by the Russo family and maintained by each and every franchisee, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria, along with its more upscale casual dining brand, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious hand-crafted Italian dishes. Best known for its award-winning New York-style pizza, calzones, and classic pastas, Russo’s also offers an impressive gluten-free menu including gluten-free pizza and pasta dishes.

The new restaurant is located at 2233 Gulf to Bay Plaza and is open from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Complete Russo’s New York Pizzeria menu options and locations are available at www.nypizzeria.com

For more information about Russo’s New York Pizzeria, please visit www.facebook.com/russosclearwater or follow us on @russosclearwtr

About Russo’s Restaurants
Russo’s Restaurants is a 44-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 30-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his Italian roots where food and family come first.

To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com, or call toll free 855-978-7767.  For International or Domestic development, contact our Director of franchise development, at [email protected] or by phone at 972-983-9024