La Villa Pizzeria | Our Story
A Brooklyn family tradition since 1955
La Villa Pizzeria traces its roots to 1955, when the family first opened on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. That same dedication to authentic Italian cooking led to the opening of La Villa in Howard Beach in 1982 — and has carried through to four Brooklyn locations today.
The first La Villa table
When the Howard Beach location opened in the Lindenwood section in spring 1982, it had 25 to 30 seats. The family describes it as standing room only from the start.
Growing one neighborhood at a time
A second location followed on Avenue U in Mill Basin in 1992, and it wasn't long before that one outgrew itself too. Along the way, long-tenured team members grew into management and eventually into partnership roles that continue today.
A Park Slope homecoming
The Park Slope location opened on Memorial Day 2003, in a neighborhood the family had lived and shopped in during the 1960s and early ‘70s. Opening it with the blessing of the older generation made it something more than just another location.
What has stayed the same
Dough and sauces are prepared fresh every day, and the wood-fired ovens at each location are central to how the pizzas are made — not a style choice, but the way this family has always done it.