Inspiring Conversations with Alexandra Lunardon of Antonio’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Lunardon.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Antonio’s Pizzeria is one of the first Pizzeria and Italian restaurants to open its doors in the San Fernando Valley (1957), originally as Miceli’s.

Known as Antonio’s Pizzeria since 1958, we are known for serving generous portions of classic Italian dishes (like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and our famous pizza and pasta Rossa) a reasonable price for the last 64 years. Evolving with the times to meet contemporary needs, we now offer a full gluten-free menu with vegan options, including pizza. One of our main goals is to provide excellent Italian food options for even those with restrictive diets.

We’re a brother-sister team and we bought the restaurant in 1988, promising Antonio that the tradition would continue and honoring his legacy has been a priority ever since. We provide a warm and accessible environment for everyone — from neighborhood friends to Hollywood celebrities. In fact, each person who walks through our doors becomes family.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every family-owned restaurant faces ups and downs, from corporate competition to the fluctuating economy. In the last 30 years, many challenges arose, but the last several years with the rise of covid, we have had to get creative to survive, such as opening a virtual business to compensate for the loss of sales.

With Dine-in stopping and food apps becoming a new habit it changed the way people see or think about entertainment. Dealing with high costs of food prices, hikes in the minimum wage, rent, overall payroll and finally, the high percentage taken by 3rd party partners are an unexpected challenges.

It has become like opening a new business trying to get people back in the restaurant, knowing that you have lost a significant amount of your regulars and trying to understand how to market your product to the people that are left. Finally evolving with the new generation’s way of thinking, whether it being the technology or spending habits.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are proud to be one of the few non-franchised, family-style restaurants remaining in the San Fernando Valley. We have a unique ability to provide an authentic Italian experience, from top-quality traditional food to our familial rapport with customers. We live by three words: Real. Simple. Tasty.

People rave about so many of our dishes — Pasta Rossa, lasagna, Pasta Monica and our amazing New York-style pizza. Our desire to stay traditional and remain an affordable option for families are just two of the things that set us apart, Furthermore, we are very proud to offer what I believe is the best Italian GF menu in the valley (with up to 30 items, including pizza) as well as vegan options. Topping it off with a dessert menu of over 25 desserts, it’s hard to not find something you like.

We love being part of our community and interacting with local schools to help keep the PTAs active and necessary programs going.

What makes you happy?
I got into this business because I love being a host, inviting people to my home and giving them the ability to relax and allow someone they can trust to take over. It makes me happy when I get the opportunity to plan an event with a guest and they feel that part of the stress can be reduced or forgotten. At the end of the day, when they text you and thank you because, for them, it was perfect! All I feel is an honor, pride, happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: antoniospizzeriala.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antoniospizzeria
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antoniospizzeriaanditalianrestaurant
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Antonios57
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/antonios-pizzeria-and-italian-restaurant-sherman-oaks-2