For Craig Plackis, owning CraigO’s Pizza & Pastaria is less about serving food and more about providing a place where the community can connect, unwind and bond over the experience of sharing a meal. “We wanted CraigO’s to be small so that when families came they could sit close to each other and start conversations,” he said. “We see a lot of that at night during dinner, which has always been our goal.” Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Plackis is no stranger to pizzerias. He grew up in a close-knit family, he said, and much of what Plackis knows about food today was learned in the kitchens of his friends. After eight years working as a district manager for CiCi’s Pizza, Plackis decided to open his own restaurant in 2003 on W. Hwy. 290, he said. After mulling over a list of Italian last names—Plackis is of Greek descent—his father encouraged him to name the eatery after his childhood nickname. “He looked at me and he said, ‘You will be here from open to close, so just name it after yourself,’” Plackis said. Since then, Plackis has franchised three other locations, including one in Onion Creek, he said. Each iteration of CraigO’s maintains a commitment to serving the community. Two to three days a week, both CraigO’s locations in South Austin host a no-hassle fundraiser called School Night, in which a portion of the night’s sales are donated to area schools. “To me education is very important, not just to the kids here but all over Austin,” he said. “My goal was to get involved in the community but in terms of the lengths to which I got involved, I never foresaw that.” CraigO’s also caters outings for University of Texas sports teams, the Southwest Family YMCA annual golf tournament, and other events benefiting children and educators. Contributing to Plackis’ success is the quality of CraigO’s food, all made from scratch with fresh ingredients, he said. “We are very thankful for Austin,” he said. “Over the 15 years [that CraigO’s has been open], I have seen many restaurants open and close, and I’m very humbled we are able to be open and assist in our community.” CraigO’s Pizza & Pastaria A. 4970 W. Hwy. 290, Austin 512-891-7200 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. B. 11215 S. I-35, Austin 512-282-7499 Hours: daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m. www.craigositalian.com