Vito’s Pizzeria, College Park’s newest pizza shop, has had incredible success in the last two months since it opened, according to Owner Vito Antonio Riccio.
The success is due, in large part, to Riccio’s marketing tactics. Since the restaurant’s grand opening on Jan. 15, Riccio has been promoting it through Facebook posts and free samples.
According to Riccio, his methods are working. During the two months that the restaurant has been open, Vito’s has quadrupled in sales, compared to what Fat Tino’s made in the seven-month period that it was open.
“[Recent success is] all about catering to my market, which is mostly students,” Riccio says.
Riccio created a Facebook fan page, where he lets everyone know about the different specials and deals available. The fan page now has close to 400 members.
In order to keep up with the well-established competition, such as Ratsie’s and Domino’s, Riccio has kept his prices very low. A slice of cheese pizza costs $2.65 and a large 18-inch cheese pizza is only $10.99, compared to Ratsie’s 18-inch for $13.99.
Vito’s also offers everything by the slice, including all specialty pizzas such as eggplant parmesan and buffalo chicken, which the nearby pizzerias do not offer.
“Everything here is made fresh using my dad’s own recipes. It’s our own sauce, our own dough, everything,” Riccio said.
As Vito’s sign announced on opening day, it’s “Real Pizza By Real Italians.”
According to Riccio, word of mouth has been his best source for promotion. He frequently goes to Sante Fe Café and the other local bars during late night, gets on stage, and announces the different deals for the night.
“After Maryland beat Duke, I sent out a Facebook message offering dollar slices for the rest of the night,” Riccio said.
He also offers his large cheese pizza for half price on Monday nights and different deals on his pizzas and sandwiches every day.
Riccio says he makes up different specials as he goes along and negotiates deals with the fraternities and sororities on campus when they have events where they need large quantities of food.
Riccio was a financial advisor for five years before he decided to try running his own business with Vito’s. And this is just the beginning for him. He has plans to expand, buy more ovens, and even add a BYOB bar for students to come hang out at.
“