Pizza di Paolo open, serving up pizza by the slice

An old Sioux Falls pizzeria is back with the same wood-fired offerings, just under a different branding and a few new twists, including pizza-by-the-slice.

Pizza di Paolo welcomed diners for the first time Monday, opening for business in the small shopping center at 2300 S. Minnesota Ave. Sioux Falls’ newest pizzeria brings back the popular offerings once found in Breadico’s brick-and-mortar restaurant, which closed earlier this year.

“We just wanted a comfortable place for somebody to come in and eat pizza,” co-owner Dennis Napolitano said.

Hours after its first lunch rush, Pizza di Paolo’s sunny dining room was filled with the aroma of wood-fired pizza as Christmas music played from the corner jukebox.

Dennis and his wife Linda helped their son David Napolitano with Breadico and will head up operations at Pizza di Paolo, continuing a tradition of Napolitano-run family businesses.

Dennis and his family ran landscaping companies in California and the Sioux Falls area for 50 years. He’s left that behind to focus on the dining industry. Dennis, Linda, their children and Dennis’ brothers all work at the new pizzeria.

“This is a family effort,” Dennis said. “We’ve always just helped each other go.”

Pizza di Paolo’s menu offers many of the same pizzas made with quality fresh ingredients at Breadico, just with a few tweaks and new offerings, Linda Napolitano said.

“We just do the best we can with what we have,” Linda said.

All of it is cooked up in a wood-fired oven built by Dennis.

Pizza di Paolo’s dough and sauce follow homemade family recipes, with a menu designed to accommodate a range of customers. Diners can enjoy a menu filled with salads, ice creams and a range of different pizza options, including a by-the-slice menu available for as low as $4 a slice.

Customers can also order 12-inch or 16-inch pies of their favorite menu item, including a classic pepperoni, a margherita and more singular offerings such as the Garlic D’Arco, a pizza topped with artichoke, spinach and ricotta cheese.

David Napolitano helped design the space but will continue to focus on running Breadico as a bakery as his parents run Pizza di Paolo.