From a Skating Rink Dream to a Slice of Reality: The Vecchia Story

I fell in love twice in my life. First with pizza. Then with Brianna.

Looking back now, I see how both loves were destined to intertwine into something greater than I could have imagined while watching those frozen pizzas cook at the Homewood skating rink all those years ago.

When Brianna and I met in 2012, we were running Bernie’s on Main Street in Columbiana. It was a good restaurant—comfort food that made people smile, familiar dishes that brought them back. But something was missing for me. There was this whisper in my heart that wouldn’t quiet down, a childhood dream that kept tugging at my sleeve.

One evening, after a particularly long shift, Brianna looked at me across our empty restaurant and asked the question that would change everything: “What have you always wanted to do?”

The answer came without hesitation. “I’ve always wanted to own a pizzeria,” I told her. “But not some fancy Italian place like Bellini’s or La Dolce Vita. I want to come in wearing shorts, tennis shoes, an apron, and feel like I’m in my own kitchen. I want everyone else to feel that too.”

I expected her to laugh—to remind me about bills and practical concerns. Instead, she nodded, smiled that smile I fell in love with, and said, “Then let’s do it.”

That was Brianna—turning dreams into blueprints.

We were an unlikely but perfect team. Her background in sales and produce matched my decades in restaurants. Where I’d get lost in the clouds of possibility, she’d anchor us with spreadsheets and strategy. When she’d worry about the details, I’d remind her of the bigger picture. Together, we had everything we needed to build something real—something that honored our family roots while creating a place that felt like home.

The search for our pizzeria’s physical home was a journey itself. We looked everywhere—even that beautiful “What’s on 2nd” building downtown. Nothing clicked until my high school buddy Joe Maloof called. He mentioned his friends at U.S. Steel were looking for a concept for their building in The Preserve.

I still laugh thinking about that first meeting. Brianna walked in all professional—heels clicking, notepad ready. Meanwhile, I showed up as my authentic self—cracking jokes, waving my hands like a true Italian. The U.S. Steel folks wanted fine dining. We wanted family chaos.

“No white tablecloths,” I insisted. “No tuxedo service. Just good food, loud laughter, and a space that feels like your grandmother’s kitchen.”

For months, we stood our ground. Eventually, they saw our vision. Vecchia would become the heart of The Preserve—not as another stuffy restaurant, but as a gathering place.

Building Vecchia wasn’t just about construction; it was about creating a feeling. We salvaged mahogany from 18-wheeler truck beds for our ceiling—breaking a dozen saw blades in the process. Each piece of that wood has a story, just like every recipe on our menu.

When we finally opened our doors, something magical happened. People didn’t just come for the pizza—they came for connection. They came to feel at home.

Studying with real Pizzaiolis from Naples about authentic Neapolitan pizza wasn’t just about certification. It was a pilgrimage—finding the beating heart of what makes pizza special and bringing it back to Alabama. Those long days of training, those nights dreaming of dough and fire, were all for this: creating something genuine that would last.

The road hasn’t always been smooth. We started with scraped-together savings and mountains of hope. We’ve weathered industry challenges, survived a pandemic, and even fought through my battle with cancer. But through it all, Brianna has been my rock, and Vecchia has been our purpose.

Twelve years later, I still wake up excited to fire up those Acunto ovens. I still feel that childhood wonder when I watch the flames lick the dough into blistered perfection. And I still catch Brianna’s eye across the busy restaurant, sharing a private smile that says, “We did this. Together.”

That’s the real love story here—not just between a man and a woman, but between two dreamers and the community they’ve built, one pizza at a time.

The Vecchia Story!

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