From humble beginnings in a small Ohio pizza shop to a scalable, family-run franchise, DeFelice Brothers Pizza has built success on quality, consistency and the right legal foundation.
When Dominic DeFelice opened the first DeFelice Brothers Pizza in 1982, his ambitions were simple: make some money and pursue his dream of going to photography school. But what started as a small mom-and-pop shop launched with a $10,000 credit union loan and some used ovens has since grown into a 10-unit regional brand with national franchise potential.
“I started it with my brother,” said DeFelice. “We were both laid off from local mills. My sister and her husband were in the pizza business, and I had worked for them. So I decided to open a pizza shop myself.”
By 1985 the brothers had already opened their second store, and a few years later they added a commissary to supply their growing network.
“In 1990, we opened our fifth store,” DeFelice said. “But the regulations were such that you could only have five stores personally and couldn’t take food across state lines without licensing and inspections. That’s when I decided to have our products — sauce, meatballs, beef — manufactured by third parties. Now, we can grow anywhere in the United States that we’re licensed to be.”
That decision set the stage for DeFelice Brothers Pizza’s next phase: franchising. “I sold my first license agreement and then turned it into a full-blown franchise,” DeFelice said. “We started selling off some of our company-owned stores as franchises — many to friends and employees who had grown with the business.”
Finding the Right Franchise Legal Partner
As the brand formalized its franchise model, DeFelice knew he needed a legal team that understood franchising inside and out.
“My local attorney originally helped me with our franchise agreement, but when he retired, we started looking for someone new,” DeFelice said. “That’s how we found Spadea Lignana. We ended up signing on a retainer.”
Over the years, through COVID setbacks and even DeFelice’s own health challenges, the relationship with Spadea Lignana has remained steady.
“Spadea makes the franchising process real easy — they know the franchise and the FDD,” he said. “They have it down to a science. They keep us in line and keep us abreast of all the changes. Every year, we renew our agreement and update our audited financial statements.”
A Franchise Built on Family and Quality
Even with decades of success behind him, DeFelice remains deeply hands-on and committed to quality.
“Our most successful owners are hands-on,” he said. “This isn’t a free ride — you have to be involved. Investors should be interested in our franchise because they get to be their own boss, but they have to want to do the work.”
That work pays off. DeFelice Brothers Pizza has earned regional and international recognition for its products, including a “Best in the USA” title at the World Pizza Championship in Salsomaggiore, Italy in 2005.
“We make our product fresh every day,” DeFelice said. “Our tomatoes are packed for us — six hours from the time they’re picked, our recipes are in the can. We make dough daily and bake in two steps. It’s a product I’ve been proud of, and we strive to make it consistent while giving the best service we can.”
As the brand continues to grow, DeFelice is setting his sights on new markets like Columbus and Pittsburgh — with Spadea Lignana as a trusted partner in the journey. “We’re a family-run business,” he said. “You’re not getting a big company that’s cookie-cutter. We want our franchisees to be successful. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s a simple process. We don’t have a niche — we just have damn good pizza.”
