Trattoria di Carlo has reopened in Oak Creek with new management but the same recipes
Trattoria di Carlo Pizzeria has reopened in Oak Creek.
A flurry of Facebook posts in community groups have been frantically asking when this popular pizzeria at 8469 S. Howell Ave. would reopen. It became official July 5 with people posting pictures of their pizzas.
The location shut down abruptly in June 2021 with the announcement and closure coming on the same day. Then-owner Carlo Pedone said he’d “agonized” over the decision but “the restaurant industry is very challenging right now and this is the right decision for my family.”
New owner Frank Carini met Pedone 22 years ago when he first opened di Carlo’s in Oak Creek.
“I walked into his restaurant and basically said ‘who runs this place’ and ever since then, Carlo and I grew to be extremely close friends,” Carini said. “He wanted to get more involved in the community which I helped him. Carlo gave back a lot to this community, to Oak Creek.”
Carini said Pedone suggested he reopen di Carlo’s.
“I kind of just laughed,” Carini said.
After a few more discussions, and a chat with his wife, Carini said the decision was made to fire up the pizza ovens again.
New ownership, same recipes
Carini, who is also president of the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District board, partnered with friend Ken Conway to reopen di Carlo’s.
Carini grew up near Cataldo’s when the Italian restaurant was on Brady Street in Milwaukee. He said family there taught him how to prepare, cook and “make all the recipes” for over 28 years. He said this knowledge is his strength, while his partner, Conway, “his strength is operational.”
Pedone and his wife Alison are still involved but “on the backend, it’s very minor,” Carini said.
While the ownership changed, the recipes did not.
“They’re all the same,” Carini confirmed.
The restaurant was known for hand-tossed, brick oven pizzas. The Sicilian, one of the pizzeria's signature pies, featured artichokes, tomatoes and basil.
Hours and hiring
The pizzeria will be open for lunch Monday through Friday for pickup and delivery. The dining area will be available 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
“That could change, we’re just seeing how it goes,” Carini said.
The pizzeria is still looking to hire a bartender, two delivery drivers and possibly another member of the wait staff. Carini said the focus has been on hiring high school students to “let them grow” and see how to manage a business and learn economies of scale.
Carini said he wants to give kids every opportunity to excel and “that’s why God put us on this earth.”
“I would have never gotten involved in this if we weren’t going to give back to the community,” he said. “We just want to continue Carlo’s mission and continue providing great quality Italian food and great service and providing whatever we can to help support our community.”
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter @Redheadliner.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two years after closing, Trattoria di Carlo has reopened in Oak Creek
