Story by Ariane West

At 2859 Broadway sits a New York classic spot by the name of Famous Famiglia. A family owned restaurant holds more than just “New York’s Favorite Pizza”, it holds a story of a dream come true for the Kolaj’s. In 1970 the Kolaj’s mother, Mamma Rosa, brought her 5 children to New York from Italy. Mamma Rosa taught her children “the value of discipline, teamwork, and commitment”. With those core values to hold onto Paul, John, and Giorgio Kolaj founded Famous Famiglia in 1986. Since then the restaurant has not only been standing strong in the United States but it has had the chance to touch people in Canada, China, Ecuador, Mexico and the UAE.

I came to New York with a group of 8 other students and my teacher. We had almost a four hour flight from Austin to NYC. On that flight was my fellow student and NYC tourist Cady Russell. We had some free time when we got here and once we were walking around we smelled the fresh pizza at Famous Famiglia so we walked right in. “I had just gotten off the plane from New York and I was so hungry,”  Russell said. “The pizza was thin and huge and so greasy. It was also just savory. I may have been super hungry but that did not diminish the pure goodness that came from a singular slice of pizza.” After hearing Cady’s experience I gave her some insight to the history that is held in the pizza shop we had chosen to go to our first day in NYC. “Finding out that this place was created by people who just wanted a better life is really powerful,” Russell said. “The founders are still there and it really makes it more than another random pizza place in New York. It makes the place feel much more birthed from love than the want for money.” 

With the delicious taste of classic New York pizza and a physical representation of family’s dreams coming true, Famous Famiglia provides a unique experience that I believe everyone who gets the chance should experience.