Mamma Rosa and her five children leaving Italy for America (April 1970)
Having made a promise to her husband that their children would make it to America and have an opportunity at the American Dream, Mamma Rosa arrived in New York City with her daughter and four sons in the spring of 1970.
As her children, we’d like to share our story with you…
Though the early years were a struggle, Mamma, by God’s grace, always had a way of turning the hardships into opportunities of instilling in us core values through the lessons of life. Through chores and responsibilities, we learned the value of discipline, teamwork, and commitment. We began working early on in our youth, and through the years gained much experience in the pizza industry in New York City. And, by the summer of 1986, we opened our own pizzeria, Famous Famiglia, in the heart of New York City! In the years to follow, we opened several more pizzerias throughout New York City, winning awards with our quality and customer service standards. Hence, the Famous Famiglia brand quickly became a leader in the New York pizza market and earned the title of “New York’s Favorite Pizza”.
The Famous Famiglia story is one of triumph and a passion for the spirit of entrepreneurship. It is also one of a return to the very basic principles of the foodservice industry; serving a quality product, in an efficient and enthusiastic manner, and in a clean and pleasant environment. As the founders of the company, throughout the growth, it has been a consistent vision for us to instill this culture throughout the organization and, hence, Famous Famiglia has become one of the fastest growing pizza brands, and one of the most respected and admired industry leaders. We are committed to continuing on in this tradition. We are very grateful to all our co workers, business partner franchisees, and to our guests for their support!
God bless you,
The Kolaj Family