The success of a husband and wife duo.
Salvatore and Alexis Punturiero are a husband and wife duo who own Salvatore’s Pizza and Pasta in Rostraver Township, a small suburb outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Before becoming entrepreneurs, Salvatore worked in the pizza industry for more than 10 years and was a partner for four of those years at a franchise shop. They decided to start their own business because they want to provide fresh and tasty pizza and pasta to their Rostraver Township community. Eventually, they hope to grow into a full-service restaurant.
Salvatore and Alexis had to overcome a lot to start this business. The Punturieros owned the building for the restaurant, but had significant construction updates to overcome. Additionally, they originally started their entrepreneurial journey around the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic began, requiring them to maneuver throughout construction obstacles, lending delays, and government mandates.
The Punturiero family was referred to the Pitt SBDC from the Washington County Council on Economic Development, becoming a clients in February 2020. The Pitt SBDC helped the husband and wife duo with the development a business plan, creation of a marketing plan, and with financial projections. The assistance led to an approval from a lender for $50,000 in financing for the business and they officially celebrated their grand opening in November 2021.
Salvatore’s Pizza and Pasta allows the Punturieros to live their dreams of being entrepreneurs and owning their own business. Both Salvatore and Alexis are excited to see the business grow, currently with two full-time employees and plans to hire more as the business grows, as well as the Rostraver Township community they are working hard to become a staple of.