Mineo’s Pizza House has been cleared for takeoff.
More than a year in the making, the fourth location of the iconic pizza business opened Monday morning inside the new Pittsburgh International Airport.
The first pies came out of the new ovens this morning.
“It took a little longer than expected,” said co-owner Giovanni Mineo III. “We wanted to make sure every detail was right.”
His grandfather, Giovanni Mineo Sr., started the pizza business in 1958. His sons, Giovanni Mineo Jr. and Dominic Mineo, took over ownership of the business in the early 1990s. Giovanni Jr.’s son, Giovanni Mineo III, and Dominic Mineo’s children, John Dante “J.D.” Mineo and Elissa Mineo Filson and her husband, Shawn Filson, have continued the legacy that Giovanni Mineo Sr. started.
Mineo’s is located to the right as you descend the escalator in the Airside Terminal, and is one of several local eateries. When designing the new airport, officials reached out to include Pittsburgh-owned food and beverage businesses such as Mineo’s, Penn Brewery and Wigle Whiskey, Millie’s Ice Cream and Primanti Bros.
“This area in the airport is great because there is a lot of space,” Mineo III said.
“There is such a great flow of people walking through that area,” Shawn Filson said. “It’s in a prime location.”
Mineo’s has a full bar with 14 seats and plenty of tables and chairs in the food dining area.
The newest location will be managed via a joint venture of the Mineo family and the entity of Marathon Diner, which has been at the airport for decades. Marathon Diner’s 30 years of experience and Mineo’s more than 60 years of experience are a great collaboration, Mineo III said.
All of the homemade Mineo’s recipes and fresh ingredients will be used in personal-sized pizzas. They are available for dining in or travelers can take it to go.
Cost is $16 for a cheese pizza. Customers can purchase a baked or half-baked pie. The pizzas can be taken on the plane.
A variety of toppings are available. Homemade meatballs, fresh hoagies, a variety of salads and some fried items are on the menu. Leona’s handmade ice cream and homemade cookies are available.
“Every item at the shop has been optimized for one traveler,” Mineo III said.
Mineo’s is selling its Italian favorite brews – the “What’s a Matta You?” hazy IPA made by Helltown Brewing in Export — and Peroni. There is also a curated Italian wine list.
A favorite saying of Giovanni Mineo Sr. was “What’s a Matta You?” He was an immigrant from a small town in Sicily near Palermo and dreamed of coming to America and starting his own business. He took a Squirrel Hill streetcar and found an empty storefront on Murray Avenue. Mineo’s expanded to locations in Mt. Lebanon in 1994 and Hampton in 2022.
“You don’t know how many times over the years when people come back to Pittsburgh their first stop is to get a Mineo’s pizza,” said J.D. Mineo. “They tell us, ‘I’m from Pittsburgh. I can’t wait to get a slice of Mineo’s Pizza.’ ”
Dominic Mineo said he’s been thinking about what his parents might think about all of this.
“I’m sure my mom and dad are so happy in heaven right now, looking down on us opening up in the airport and the progression of the business,” Dominic Mineo said. “I’m sure my dad’s guiding the next generation coming up.”
Mineo III said he is grateful to be continuing the legacy of his grandfather and sees the future of Mineo’s pizzas traveling all over the world.
“We are a representation of Pittsburgh,” Mineo III said. “We want to be the first food place you see when you come into the airport and the last food place you see when you leave.”
