Charlie and Wendy Pero opened their Italian eatery in 1969 as a Gigi’s franchise. But a fire in 1979 closed the restaurant, and a few months later it was reborn as Pero’s Pizza & Pasta.
Charlie started working at his Italian family’s restaurant in upstate New York when he was 8 years old. “It’s probably all I knew,” he said.
Now, Charlie and Wendy’s youngest child, Billy Pero, has taken over the reins of the operation, which includes takeout, delivery, catering and a food truck. “I started here after I got out of college,” he said. “I studied hotel restaurant management at Alabama. I’ve been working here for 27 years, and we stay pretty busy. We do a lot of catering, and a lot of schools — Westminster, Lovett — and St. Philip’s church.”
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Sadly, Wendy passed away. “We miss Wendy,” Charlie said. “We lost her a year and four months ago. It’s been hard. She worked in the office and did all the bookwork. She did everything at home and here, and then she got sick.”
At night, regulars crowd the dark, narrow dining room, which has dangling pendant lights reflected in oval mirrors and works of art from multiple eras. Cozy booths make for intimate gatherings, while a middle row of tables that seat six each can accommodate larger groups.
Billy noted that there “aren’t that many mom-and-pop places” left around Atlanta, and, like most enduring restaurants, regular customers are a big part of Pero’s success.
“I can’t tell you how many people tell us they came here on their first date,” Charlie said.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
One longtime regular, Mary Jo Sullivan, had her 9th birthday party at Pero’s, and has been a devotee of the restaurant for 50-plus years.
“We have three generations of families coming in now,” Billy said. “There’s one couple that comes here five to six times a week.”
With that in mind, changes to the decor or the menu must be handled with care.
“We try to redo the place every 10 years,” Billy said. “We just got a new floor. But you don’t want to change it too much, because people remember what it was like when they were in high school.”
The same goes for the sprawling menu, starting with the New York-style pizzas, multiple pasta dishes and entrees served with pasta, veggies or salad.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Among the favorites are the calzones, which are made with fresh, hand-rolled dough, ricotta and mozzarella cheese and a variety of toppings. Another is the penne Margherita entree with shrimp or chicken in a light cream sauce, served with fresh tomato, basil and green peas. And Billy is proud of the veal, which is cut in-house and served several different ways.
Take-and-bake pizzas are another popular item. “We roll it out, put all the ingredients on top, and you put it in your oven,” Charlie said.
The father and son agree that running a restaurant is a labor of love, and they credit their staff with making it possible.
“We’ve got 30 people working for us now,” Charlie said. “Some have worked here for 30 years. It’s not an easy business.”
Billy worries about Charlie, who had said he would retire on his 70th birthday but is still going strong at 84.
“It’s tough at times,” Billy said. “We’re trying to get him to slow down. But he’s here every single day, and we’re blessed that we have a steady, good business.”
Pero’s Pizza & Pasta. 3521 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta. 404-261-5077, perospizza.com
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