Meet Orlando Mulé of Orlando’s Pizzeria Birreria in Redondo Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Orlando Mulé.

Orlando, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
“WHEN YOU LOVE TO EAT YOU LOVE TO COOK.”

From a young age Orlando Mule loved to watch people prepare food. My Italian grandmother, my mom and chefs who worked at our family restaurant inspired me and made me eager to start cooking.

My father was a butcher and owned his paternal family butcher shop/Italian grocery store. Later, moving on with his own family, opened two restaurants that I’ve been involved in: our family business “Orlando le Roi du Sous-Marin” since it first opened in 1980 and “Trattoria del Buon Gustaio” from 1982 to 1989.

I started working there during the weekends and summer time. After two years of school in a business commerce program at Dawson College, I decided to pursue my managerial position in the restaurant and as a Chef. Now, with 37 years of experience in the food service, I want to bring my success here in the Los Angeles area. Within 6 months we got Zagat, great reviews and articles. We got best Pizza in the South Bay.

I make all from the best ingredients and choose from natural great foods. I really believe in natural good food. Choosing a pepperoni was so hard, there is so much junk out there. I cook for my family when I choose for the restaurant. No preservative, no chemicals, no GMO. Food is love. Mostly everything in this kitchen is homemade including making our own Italian sausages.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being Canadian and not knowing how to do business and laws here in the US had its challenges and the paper work that we always need to fill because we have our visa and not our green card…. The paper works…..we had to renew our visa and it took 6 weeks being in Canada away from business which hurt us.

Founding the right food suppliers and contacts…so much paper work. We had to change our menu a few times as in Montreal people have a very strong European influence that we own. For example: we had dandelion in our menu: Sicilian loves dandelion and that was something we needed to remove from our menu. It was too bitter for our customers. It’s super healthy and yummy but I guess and inquirer taste.

WE are building our community and our life here so it’s getting easier and easier.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are known for having the best pizza in town in the South Bay; some only come for our pasta. It’s in the taste when you don’t use love and great ingredients and understanding how to build a pizza. Making pizza is a craft and a craft that is being lost. A true pizza chef is very hard to find. Our restaurant is like how my grandmother cooked….it’s homemade made from scratch. Olive oil is the Italian best friends. 😉 That’s why my skin is beautiful not so many wrinkles lol.

What is important to us is: Great food, good food, great ambiance and great conversation. When you come to our restaurant it has to be comfortable like you are part of our bigger family. We love our customers and love what we do.

What were you like growing up?
I was raised with the Sicilian values and it was all we spokes. I was raise in an apartment building that my grandfather owned. All his children lived in the building as it was his way to help his children save money to create a better life. So I only spoke Sicilian and I was raised by my grandmother, and all my cousin. With times because we lived in Montreal, I learned English, French and proper Italian. WE playing road hockey or ice, road our bikes and did what kids do. I also had to help with the garden and summer consisted of preparing all seasonal vegetables so we had it all year round. Preparing artichoke, tomato sauce, zucchini and eggplant to name a few. The conversation was always about their garden and how beautiful it was… natural garden was always a celebration in our house.

In High school I was a track and field runner and decathlon and I was class president and prom king. 😉

Pricing:

• Tuesday and Wednesday we run a special 2 for 22$ for pizza or pasta with a purchase of a drink.
• Happy Hour Tuesday to Friday 4pm to 6pm. 5 Items for $5: $5 wine; 1$ off craft beer.
• Sunday Fun Day – Kids eat for free. 10 and under. 4pm to close.
• Friday and Saturday: 50 % off pizza after 9pm with a purchase of a drink.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1000 Torrance Blvd
  Redondo Beach, CA
  90277
• Website: www.pizzeriaorlandos.com
• Phone: 310-792-9300
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @pizzeriaorlandos
• Facebook: @pizzeriaorlandos.com
• Twitter: @pizzeriaorlandos.com
• Yelp: yelp.com/biz/orlandos-pizzeria-redondo-beach-4

Image Credit:
Carole Beauvais and Spothopper photographer.