While the category of the restaurant may seem typical, Reginelli’s is far from the standard pizza joint. Twelve years after the first Reginelli’s opened its doors; owners Darryl Reginelli and Bruce Erhardt have established five additional eateries.
With all of the locations in Louisiana, Reginelli’s has brought a unique Italian flare and flavor to the Cajun state. Inside and out, Reginelli’s is decked in bright décor; with custard walls painted with geometric shapes in blues, greens, and oranges—you won’t find any checked tablecloths here.
Both owners have Italian families, which is how the idea for pizza sparked. Reginelli lived in New Orleans when Erhardt moved to town from Alabama in the mid 90s. The two met at Reginelli’s earlier business venture, “Reginelli’s Eating Gallery” and worked together. Both have visited Italy several times.
Erhardt’s family is Sicilian, which is evident in the Reginelli’s menu. The ingredients are fresh and classic to Sicilian dishes; calamata olives, roasted eggplant, roma tomatoes, and cool artichoke. As Erdhardt said, it is Italian tradition to make meals into large events, which is the basis of Reginelli’s. “When the first Reginelli’s opened in New Orleans, it was well received by the customers because of the food’s high quality.”
Erhardt said his favorites on the menu include any of the Focaccia sandwiches, such as “The Uptowner,” smoked turkey and provolone cheese piled with roma tomatoes, avocado, sprouts, and hot pepper relish. “Of course I like the specialty pizzas,” he said. “But we’ve been doing this for twelve years, so it’s a wonder I even like pizza.”
Reginelli’s can easily boast in its modern appearance and fresh ingredients, but it has some other unique qualities, too. “When I walk into Reginelli’s, I expect to see a staff that’s super friendly and energetic,” Erhardt said. “The food should come out looking nice and customers should have an overall good experience.”
Reginelli’s also offers free delivery. The food is prepared no different than if you were eating in, and it still looks appetizing—I’ve taken advantage of this service a time or two.
The future of Reginelli’s looks bright. The co-owners have paved the road to start franchising the eateries. “For now, we want to stay in the local area,” Erhardt said. “Then we’ll think about finding people in Mississippi and Texas.”
While Italian might be a different flavor for those in the South, Regionellis’ customers can bask in one idea—that’s amore!