Courtesy Gioia's Deli
After more than a century in St. Louis, Gioia’s Deli is expanding to grocery stores with frozen pizza.
The award-winning deli first began offering pizza to keep the staff busy during the pandemic. Eventually, it began selling more than 1,000 pies per month. Several of the varieties incorporate the same hot salami and signature sauce that have won over generations of loyal customers.
“Gioia's hot salami is a product unique to St. Louis," says Gioia's co-owner Alex Donley. "It only makes sense to put it on a thin-crust pizza with some melty St. Louis-style pizza cheese.”
According to Donley, after Schnucks’ management team began buying sandwiches and gift cards from Gioia’s, a special relationship was formed, one that led to Schnucks carrying an exclusive item from a beloved, nationally recognized institution.
Courtesy Gioia's Deli
The Big Italian is topped with Gioia's famous hot salami, pepperoni, and St. Louis Pizza Cheese.
Three types of Gioia’s 12-inch frozen pizza are now available for $7.99 in select Schnucks stores: The Original (with Gioia’s hot salami and cheese), The Big Italian (with hot salami, cheese, and pepperoni), and The Hot Salami on Gioia’s Garlic Cheese Crust (with Gioia’s signature sauce on their garlic cheese bread).
The deli uses an USDA-approved facility, which allows the business to produce the pizza on a large scale while staying consistent with their high-quality standards.
“St. Louisans have a passion for local, family-owned businesses," says Donley, "and we are confident that Gioia's Deli frozen pizzas will have St. Louis' support."
Courtesy Gioia's Deli
Husband and wife Amanda and Alex Donley, co-owners of Gioia's
