The story behind our pizza…
it’s a good one!
Since the late 60s the Lollino family have been dishing up delicious authentic Italian foods…some may say it runs in our blood! It all started with Pina Lollino, Angelo’s mother, who was an Italian immigrant with Sicilian roots and a strong passion to bring the true taste of Italy to Chicago. She served the finest Italian dishes at her renowned restaurant, Ristorante Italia, for over thirty years. Angelo’s father, Giuseppe, was a master coffee roaster who owned Bar Italia right next door. He was one of the first to introduce espresso coffee in tht U.S. through his wholesale coffee company and café that also served house-made artisan gelato and sorbetto. This was where Angelo began mastering the details of his family’s businesses from an early age, perfecting his craft. It was where it all started!
Angelo grew up watching his parents celebrate their Italian heritage through food and decided to follow in their footsteps. Their passions became his passions and he emulated their teachings in everything he would go on to pursue. Cut to 1999, Angelo and his wife Giovanna opened their flagship restaurant, Massa Café Italiano, which has been a staple in Chicago for 25 years. At Massa, they specialize in authentic Italian foods, award-winning gelato (yes, actually award winning!) and fresh roasted coffee. One of the food items they would become widely known for is their assortment of Sicilian Style Bakery pizza, which, you guessed it, was a recipe from Pina’s Ristorante Italia. She would serve this style focaccia as table service bread for her patrons, and this was before the time focaccia bread became widely known in America. Angelo went on to adapt and evolve the recipe to what it is today, topping it with delicious ingredients like burrata and a variety of specialty sauces, while maintaining the integrity and heart of Pina’s original recipe.
Angelo with his children (Joey, Alisa, Giana) putting up dry wall at Massa during initial build
About 5 years ago, Angelo was walking the freezer aisle at the grocery story and realized that there wasn’t anything special about the frozen pizzas being offered. He didn’t see anything that he would feel comfortable serving alongside Sunday dinner. Angelo knew that there was an opportunity to bring the true delicacy of his Sicilian style bakery pizza to the masses. After years of research and development, product testing, recipe perfecting, Massa Pizza Company was born. Five years later, we offer 5 varieties of frozen Sicilian style bakery pizza - Margherita, Italian Sausage, Veggie, Pepperoni, and Four Cheese - which can be found across the U.S. Our pizzas are made with all fresh ingredients, including homemade sauce and hand formed crust, before being frozen to create a unique product unparalleled in the current market. We have a passionate team that prides ourselves on hand-making each pizza, from the dough for the crust to each topped ingredients. We provide an unparalleled pizza experience, a restaurant quality frozen pizza that you could entertain with your friends and family - and all made from the heart!!
Display of our bakery pizza at Massa
Training day teaching new staff on the making of our different varieties of pizzas
Angelo and his daughter Giana proud of their launch within Fresh Thyme!
Production line of our Margherita pizza!
Did you see that?
Did you see that?
Dave Portnoy giving a frozen pizza review in March 2020. He gave us a rating of 7.8!
“Outer space called, they want their crunch back!”
In early 2023, Angelo partnered with Food Network’s Jeff Mauro to bring a Maura Provisions x Massa Pizza Company collaboration. They featured an Italian Beef Combo pizza, which included Mauro Provisions USDA prime Italian beef, Mauro Provisions mild craft giardiniera and locally made Italian sausage.
Massa Pizza Company was featured on QVC three times in 2023!
