Regional restaurant Pizzaiolo Primo opened the doors of its newest location this week in the former Atria’s on Route 22 in Murrysville.
Restaurant officials noted that they had been waiting for their authentic pizza oven to arrive from Italy to join an array of fresh ingredients also imported from the country. The opening was led by Mt. Pleasant native Ron Sofranko, who has owned and developed more than 25 restaurants over the years.
Pizzaiolo Primo also has locations in Pittsburgh’s Market Square and in South Fayette. While the Market Square location closed during the covid-19 pandemic, it was later purchased by Sofranko Advisory Group and reopened. The South Fayette location opened in 2023.
The restaurant’s newest location became its largest, with seating for 240 people. Sofranko said the size of the space was a factor in his decision to open in the former Atria’s.
“We think we can do the volume there to support the rental costs,” he said. “What I really like is the location in Murrysville. I grew up in Mt. Pleasant, and my family and friends would come to Murrysville often for dinner. When you’re putting a restaurant deal together, you can’t always find the perfect location. We’re leasing, and we primarily go into shopping centers where you can’t always dictate the size of the space.”
Guests can enjoy a full menu of Neapolitan food, including pizzas, cheese and pasta made hand-made daily.
“I really enjoy this restaurant concept,” Sofranko said. “We make everything fresh daily — we have no freezers in the whole building. We’re looking to elevate things beyond the bar-food experience.”
Pizzaiolo Primo is located at 4869 William Penn Highway. For more information, visit Murrysville.pizzaioloprimo.com.