Volusia County welcomed a brand-new Italian restaurant this month, one whose secret sauce and scratch-made pizza is new to Daytona Beach but familiar to New Yorkers.

Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant opened its doors last week, after having teased the eatery’s opening on Facebook since early November. Located within The Shoppes at Beville Road, the quaint new spot boasts “freshness and authenticity” as the fundamental ingredients of its kitchen — a tight ship that owner Sergio Oliverio is no rookie at running.

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From Long Island, New York, to Daytona Beach

The new-to-Florida shop was first known and loved in Long Island where then-Sergio’s Pizza Restaurant got its start in 1991. The popular restaurant remained in business for more than 31 years, until the restaurateur ultimately realized he was ready to retire — or so he thought.

According to Oliverio, after closing shop — and less than two months into retirement — he found himself bored, missing the sense of community, fulfillment and joy that owning a restaurant had provided him for decades.

“I just couldn’t do it,” Oliverio said. “I love this business.”

It wasn’t until he took a trip to Florida to visit his brother-in-law that new inspiration would pique his interest. The recent retiree, a longtime NASCAR fan, had one wish during his trip — to visit the Daytona area and see the racetrack. While checking one dream off his bucket list, it seems as though a new one revealed itself when a Daytona Beach restaurant space appeared to be up for grabs.

“I’ve wanted to move to Florida forever,” Oliverio said.

“I almost bought a restaurant in Boca Raton, but since I had my other restaurant in New York, it was hard for me to pull the trigger, because, you know, when you spend 15 to 20 years in a place — it was great, but I love Florida, I always loved Florida … every time I came down to Florida, I would just see that people are different; they’re friendly and relaxed — a big difference — so, I saw that this could be the place that I want. There was a lot of potential.”

After striking a deal last April, the rest, it seems, was history. According to the restaurateur, in just two months he left his home in Long Island, moved his family here to Florida and watched his dreams come to fruition as Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant opened its doors last month.

While northerners lost a local gem, the Sunshine State gained a new one

The authentic new spot has a timeless, cozy feel and an expansive menu — one that Oliverio boasts is made possible through the eatery’s commitment to quality, generationally successful recipes, and use of only the freshest ingredients.

“We do not buy anything frozen. I hate frozen stuff,” Oliverio said. “Everything gets made on the premises. Everything — the dough, the sauces, anything you can think of. The one thing I buy is the cauliflower crust, but it’s delicious, the one I get. But everything gets made every morning. I come in at 9:30 in the morning. I’m here doing all the sauces — see there’s a big pot of sauce cooking over there. And everything is locally sourced.”

The new restaurant’s vast menu of pasta, ravioli, sandwiches and more ranges from the veal cutlet parmigiana sandwich, the chicken Florentine — sautéed chicken, topped with spinach and ham in a light pink sauce and baked with mozzarella cheese — and the penne alla Joet — fresh mushrooms, shrimp, and sausage in a light marinara sauce — to the veal piccata — tender veal cutlets sautéed in a white wine, lemon and caper sauce — and, a personal favorite, the ravioli al tegamino — a generously portioned, soft cheese ravioli, topped with fresh meat sauce, mushrooms and melted mozzarella.

The vast pizza menu is undoubtedly the restaurant’s show-stealer and worth the visit in and of itself, using house-made dough, homemade secret sauce and “only 100% mozzarella” to create slices where quality and freshness shine through every cheesy bite.

The 12- and 16-inch pizza selections range from the already-popular Buffalo chicken — fresh breaded chicken breast, topped with homemade Buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese dressing — and the Drunk Grandpa — vodka sauce topped with fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese — to the Everything Pizza — sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, spinach, broccoli and mozzarella cheese — and, my personal favorite, the Grandma — thin Sicilian pie crust topped with fresh tomato sauce, garlic, basil, parmigiana cheese and an olive oil sprinkling.

The magic is in the sauce

“People might not believe it, but I use San Marzano tomatoes. They’re very expensive, but there’s nothing better. That’s why my sauce — I think my sauce is great; everybody does. I will not compromise my product,” Oliverio explained.

”I looked at my webpage when I was closing in New York and I had hundreds of messages of people sad to see me go, because they knew — you know, I had my first customer in ’91, and then their kids, and then their grandkids came to me — they knew I never compromised on my product.”

For Oliverio, his scratch-made sauce — one whose recipe dates back more than 60 years — is just one example of his commitment to quality cuisine. The restaurateur, priding himself on his integrity and transparency, insists that there are no shortcuts in creating a successful business. Customers will and do notice when corners are cut, he said, going on to explain that even if they didn’t, he would, and that’s motivation enough to do it right.

“Things are expensive, but if you start cheating on your products people say, ‘Oh no, they won’t know,’ but, yes, people will know. There’s a difference if you’re buying processed cheese versus good cheese or cheap tomatoes versus good tomatoes. It’s a lot that goes into a good restaurant,” Oliverio said.

“My pizza sauce is cooked, not just a couple cans put together and mixed right out of a can. It takes a day to make just my pizza sauce … I have my ways, and it takes longer but thank God, it’s been very successful … because if you use a cheap pizza sauce, people will know. Even if they don’t, I will know.”

How the successful restaurateur got his start

Born and raised in Italy, Oliverio made his way to the U.S. around age 20. Although he had graduated college with a degree in accounting — a career he never truly planned to pursue — his interests pertaining to the restaurant industry held an allure he couldn’t ignore for long.

“I would never work in an office — nothing against anyone who works in one — but it’s not me. I need people; I need the contact with people, you know? That’s who I am.”

Oliverio bounced around the states for several years, starting in Michigan before moving to North Dakota where he worked as a consultant for a local pizzeria, and ultimately to New York where Sergio’s Pizza Restaurant was later born.

Blessed with both endless energy and passion, the restaurateur found great purpose in working with people and building relationships within the community through his restaurant. There’s nothing quite like owning a restaurant, Oliverio explained, going on to note that there was never a part of the business that he wasn’t involved in or didn’t truly love.

“You can’t beat it,” he said. “I do the cooking, I do the pizza, wash the dishes, clean the floors — whatever there is to do, I’ll do. I’m hands on in everything … because I always loved the idea of having a restaurant.”

Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant is here to stay

While still attempting to adjust to the flow of a new business, Oliverio noted that there was very little advertising that preceded the restaurant’s opening. According to the passionate owner, however, traffic was better than he could have ever expected on opening day, going on to describe his love and appreciation for the local community that has so immensely supported the new eatery.

“I didn’t advertise, because when you start a new business, you still need to get the feel for it. So, I just opened the doors. And I think, yes, I got a better response than what I thought,” Oliverio said. “Yesterday the dining room didn’t stop from 3:30 to 7:30. It was always packed, and I just love these people, you know? Like I said, they’re all really friendly here; they’re easy to have a conversation with. That’s what I like.”

Whether stopping by for a quick lunch-break slice or sitting down for a full family meal, one thing Oliverio hopes will shine through at his new restaurant is his commitment to the customer experience. According to the restaurateur, the places we, as customers, choose to dine should feel like home, a place where comfort and quality are guaranteed, and the caliber of cuisine never disappoints.

“It’s very important when you go to a place, you want to feel like you’re welcome instead of just a ‘what can I get you.’ It’s a big difference, you know?” Oliverio said. “And there’s so many (restaurants) that are all good in their own way, so I think people have to taste the food and decide for themselves (where to eat), because, here, the food speaks for itself.”

Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant, which replaces what was formerly Anthony’s Pizza, is located at 1500 Beville Road in Daytona Beach and is open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Saturday and noon – 9 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 386-317-4777 or visit Facebook.com.

Helena Perray is the restaurant and dining writer for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A New Jersey native and passionate storyteller, she can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Support local journalism by subscribing