By Kirsten Peek – Community Impact
Brad Davis, owner of the Pflugerville location of Russo’s New York Pizzeria, said he knew his restaurant and the city of Pflugerville would be a match from the beginning. After working in the restaurant industry for 20 years, Davis opened his own Russo’s franchise in Pflugerville in October 2013.
“Texas has four major food groups,” Davis said. “Pizza, Mexican food, barbecue and hamburgers. It was a no-brainer.”
Davis and his wife, Angela, moved from Austin to Pflugerville shortly after getting married. Angela manages the marketing for the restaurant in addition to working a full-time job. They now have triplet sons who frequently spend time at the restaurant.
“I love Pflugerville,” Davis said. “The big city is just a couple miles away, but we still have a small-town feeling here.”
The Pizzeria also expanded in April to add additional waiting space as well as an area to accommodate deliveries and pickup orders.
Davis said he likes to stay involved in the community by frequently hosting sports and school spirit nights at Russo’s. Davis said he also offers a Straight A program periodically to reward children with good grades with free pizza.
Davis said many of the staff members have been at Russo’s since day one. The staff is composed of predominately full-time employees, plus a few part-time staff members who are in college or high school, he said.
“The staff is like family, which is also how we try to treat our customers,” Davis said.
Davis said the service offered at Russo’s is one of the qualities that makes the restaurant unique. He said the restaurant also stands out because it only uses fresh ingredients, and everything is made to order. Any pizza can be made on gluten-free crust, he said.
“My house is right across the street, but I live here,” Davis said. “I love having new challenges every day. I get to know our regulars, but I also get to meet new people every day. It’s great.”
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