MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s own Palermo’s Pizza is expanding. The company will start building a new 200,000 square-foot facility this summer in West Milwaukee. 

What You Need To Know

  • Palermo's Pizza was founded by Italian immigrants in the 1950s

  • It's expanding into a new 200,000 square-foot facility this summer

  • That means the company is hiring for 50 new positions

It will allow Palermo’s to grow its production capacity and add 50 new jobs. This comes as the family-owned business is celebrating 60 years in operation. 

Founded by Italian immigrants in the 1950s, Palermo’s Pizza has deep roots in Milwaukee, family and tradition.

“My grandparents came over from Italy with nothing in their pocket,” said Nick Fallucca, chief product and innovation officer at Palermo’s.

He said they worked hard and eventually turned some of their favorite Italian recipes into a business.

In 1964, the Fallucca family opened a bakery out of a house on Milwaukee’s East Side. Four years later, they transitioned that bakery into an Italian restaurant. That’s where the family began offering their signature frozen pizzas for customers to buy and make at home. From there, they started selling those frozen pizzas at local grocery stores and bars.

Decades later, Palermo’s Pizza has grown into a national and international brand, selling millions of pizzas each year at major retailers, like Costco. Despite its growth, Palermo’s remains committed to its roots and values.

Still, every one of its frozen pizzas ties back to grandma and grandpa.

“We’d be at the dinner table, and everybody would be like, ‘Why is he screaming?’ And we would be like, ‘No, that’s just how grandpa talks,’” Fallucca said. “He was loud and vibrant. That’s how the name ‘Screaming Sicilian’ came about.” 

Dax Schaefer is the corporate chef for Palermo’s, and Brianna Fyock is a manager and senior food scientist for the company. They both said while they are not related to the Fallucca family by blood, anyone who works for Palermo’s is treated like family.

“The Fallucca family has been nothing but generous to their employees,” Schaefer said.

“It really does feel like family here,” Fyock added. “To actually see the start to finish, from the idea of a pizza to creation, and then be able to buy it for your family in a grocery store, is such a great experience.”

Fallucca said prioritizing the customer, employees and a quality product also comes from grandpa.

“That’s how he ran the restaurant, putting the customer first, really great food, and focusing on your employees,” Fallucca said. “That’s how to create a great business, product and customer service.”

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Fallucca. This has been corrected. (May 22, 2024)

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