Chicago-based Aurelio’s Pizza is returning to the local market with a new takeout and delivery location targeted to open early next week on Naples Boulevard in North Naples.
After serving Naples for decades, Aurelio’s Pizza closed its Southwest Florida outpost in mid-September. Aurelio’s Pizza at Coastland Center mall in Naples was the last location in Florida for the Chicago chain known for its tavern-style pizza. Aurelio’s also formerly had locations on U.S. 41 in Naples and at Gulf Coast Town Center in south Fort Myers.
“We are returning to the market, and we are very, very excited about doing that,” said Aurelio’s franchisee Mark Lichtman, a North Naples resident. “I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the company and the brand and offering all of our incredible products to the community.”
Lichtman, who was general manager of the Aurelio’s location at the mall, now owns the new local franchise for the pizzeria chain. Aurelio’s moved into the former spot of the short-lived Romeo’s Pizza, which closed this summer at 6270 Naples Blvd., Suite 6, in the Sutton Place retail strip near Regal Naples cinema.
“Same center as Crumbl Cookies and Shea’s Lansdowne across from Costco,” Lichtman said. “It’s just takeout and delivery right now. We do have the opportunity to do some additional seating outside but that won’t happen for quite a while, and it will be pretty much grab-and-go seating.”
Although it’s a much smaller place than what local diners have been accustomed to, expect the same Aurelio’s menu of pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, appetizers and desserts. The brand’s top-selling item is its legendary thin-crust pizza with the most popular signature variety being the Super Six — “the works” pizza with sausage, ham, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and cheese.
“It’s going to be the entire menu,” Lichtman said, noting that Aurelio’s fans are already excited about the dining concept’s local reboot.
“The sign started going up and people started coming in very, very happy and appreciative,” he said. “The community has been very appreciative and generous of Aurelio’s in Southwest Florida for decades, and we’re very excited to continue on the tradition.”
Aurelio’s Pizza CEO Joe Aurelio is flying down the weekend of Dec. 6-7 with 500 pizza cutters and insulated bags for pizzas to give away to patrons who make a purchase starting that Friday during the opening weekend, while supplies last. “It’s in celebration of our 65th anniversary and our grand reopening of our Naples location as a thank you to our loyal customers over the years,” Aurelio said.
Aurelio said Aurelio’s was fortunate to find a pizzeria turnkey opportunity to continue a relationship with Naples that began in 1996.
“I wanted to get something open immediately, so we don’t lose our footprint in Naples down there with our brand, so we found a spot that was ready to go,” he said.
The idea is to get this smaller location up and running with the possibility to expand with another regional location eventually. “We do look to grow, but we just want to get this one open and start serving the community again and take it one step at a time, but we would like to expand,” Aurelio said.
Joe Aurelio is the son of Aurelio’s founder, the late Joseph A. Aurelio Jr., who launched the legendary brand in a Chicago suburb in 1959 and started franchising in 1970. The concept has 37 locations in five states, including Florida, where a huge fan base for Aurelio’s exists in Naples.
“Before they closed the old store, they had two of the busiest weeks they ever had down there with people stocking up their freezers with pizzas,” Aurelio said. “So, we’re excited to be back.”
Starting Dec. 3, the new Aurelio’s will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
