2008 Woodie Awards
Market Square's little Italy
Cullen Pajer-Rogers
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Web Extras
Situated in Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh amongst the various coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, and bars is La Gondola. La Gondola is a small, quaint "mom and pop" pizza shop, with a calming relaxed atmosphere. The lights reflect off of the orange booths and rows of wooden tables through the wall-sized front window giving off a warm semi 1970s vibe. It is located between Starbucks and Subway.
The Muto family, owners of La Gondola immigrated to the United States in 1972. The building that houses La Gondola was purchased by the Muto family in 1978 for $200,000 with every intention of continuing the family history in the restaurant business.
The name La Gondola was given to the shop because of its nostalgic value for the family especially the current owner Sergio Muto.
"La Gondola has its name from the gondolas used in Venice, it seemed appropriate also since Market Square really reminds me of Piatza San Marco, which is an area in Venice," said Muto.
While in its 30 years of doing business in the downtown Pittsburgh area, La Gondola has formed loyal customer bonds with lots of the businesses downtown feeding people from Channel 2 news and even employees working at the Post-Gazette.
Muto elaborated, "We deal with a lot of the business men and women around this area, but I'd say about 90 percent of my customers are loyal customers that have been coming here since we've opened, some of them are even starting to bring in their kids when they come."
Sergio Muto is now the sole manager of the shop, but his son works at the shop on some weeknights. Muto still uses the original family recipes that his mother and father brought over from Italy.
Since the beginning, Muto has held a firm believe in the way La Gondola prepares its recipes and how it handles itself as a business overall since his parents started the shop. He has added a few new items to the menu over the years, most recently the new Sicilian style pizza which he defined as "opulent or celestial".
The Muto family, owners of La Gondola immigrated to the United States in 1972. The building that houses La Gondola was purchased by the Muto family in 1978 for $200,000 with every intention of continuing the family history in the restaurant business.
The name La Gondola was given to the shop because of its nostalgic value for the family especially the current owner Sergio Muto.
"La Gondola has its name from the gondolas used in Venice, it seemed appropriate also since Market Square really reminds me of Piatza San Marco, which is an area in Venice," said Muto.
While in its 30 years of doing business in the downtown Pittsburgh area, La Gondola has formed loyal customer bonds with lots of the businesses downtown feeding people from Channel 2 news and even employees working at the Post-Gazette.
Muto elaborated, "We deal with a lot of the business men and women around this area, but I'd say about 90 percent of my customers are loyal customers that have been coming here since we've opened, some of them are even starting to bring in their kids when they come."
Sergio Muto is now the sole manager of the shop, but his son works at the shop on some weeknights. Muto still uses the original family recipes that his mother and father brought over from Italy.
Since the beginning, Muto has held a firm believe in the way La Gondola prepares its recipes and how it handles itself as a business overall since his parents started the shop. He has added a few new items to the menu over the years, most recently the new Sicilian style pizza which he defined as "opulent or celestial".
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