Mr. G’s Pizzeria marks 30 years as friendship preserves legacy
As Mr. G’s Pizzeria celebrates three decades in downtown Bryan, owner Susan Carnes reflects on the unlikely friendship preserving the restaurant’s legacy and inspiring its next chapter.
Mr. G's Pizzeria opened in Historic Downtown Bryan in July 1996 in a former furniture gallery. (Karley Cross/Community Impact)
For years, customers walking into Mr. G’s Pizzeria in Historic Downtown Bryan were likely to find founder Giovanni “Mr. G” Cerone sitting at a dining room table, paperwork spread out before him as he greeted regulars, welcomed newcomers and shared stories from a life that had taken him from Italy to Texas.
His recipes remain, as do many of the traditions which made the pizzeria a downtown Bryan institution. Now, as the restaurant celebrates its 30th anniversary, the family he chose is carrying his legacy into the business’s next chapter.
The new café, expected to open with a soft launch in mid-July before a grand opening this fall, isn’t replacing the downtown restaurant. Instead, owner Susan Carnes described it as “a nod and a tribute” to Mr. G.
“G had a baby G,” she said.
The backstory
Carnes wasn’t looking to own a restaurant when she first met Mr. G.
She and her husband had just celebrated their 10-year anniversary at Downtown Uncorked, which was located in downtown Bryan until it moved to south College Station in 2021. The couple stopped into Mr. G’s to grab a pizza for their children at home. Instead, Carnes found herself talking with the restaurant’s owner for nearly two hours.
“It was like love at first sight, friendship at first sight,” she said with a laugh. “These two families just adopted each other.”
A framed photo of Susan Carnes and founder Giovanni “Mr. G” Cerone hangs inside the restaurant, a reminder of the friendship behind the business’s legacy. (Karley Cross/Community Impact)
A realtor by trade, Carnes eventually helped Mr. G search for someone to buy the restaurant as retirement approached. He turned down every buyer she found.
Instead, he looked across the table at her.
“He says–in his little Italian accent–he goes, ‘Susan, if you [don’t] take it, [I’ll] close at the end of the month,’” she recalled him saying.
Although she had little restaurant experience beyond waiting tables in college, Carnes and her family stepped in during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, her children have grown up inside the business much like several employees who have spent decades there. One longtime pizza cook has worked at Mr. G’s since she was 15 years old, and Carnes’ teenage son will soon bus tables at the new café.
Mr. G’s widow Houda remains closely involved and has even shared recipes from her former College Station restaurant, Cenare, for the new concept.
On the menu
Much has changed since Mr. G’s opened in 1996, but the recipes that built its reputation remain largely untouched.
The restaurant continues to serve its signature pizzas from classic Margherita and Hawaiian pies to house specialties like the Lu Pizza, which is topped with mozzarella, feta, caramelized onions and prosciutto. The menu also includes calzones, pasta, subs, salads, garlic bread, gluten-free and keto options and desserts like tiramisu and cannoli.
At the heart of it all is the pizza dough recipe Mr. G. brought to Bryan decades ago. Today, Carnes said only two people know how to make it.
While the downtown pizzeria will continue serving its signature and longtime favorites, the new café will expand on the family’s Italian roots.
The kitchen at the College Station location will also become the primary location for preparing dough, sauces and other ingredients used by both restaurants.
Staying local
Despite the expansion, Carnes said Bryan remains home.
She calls the downtown restaurant a “7,000 square-foot elephant” that has survived recessions, COVID-19 and decades of changing restaurant trends.
“It would leave a hole in the heart,” she said. “So, as long as we’re able, Mr. G’s downtown Bryan will be [here].”
The restaurant continues to draw crowds during First Friday events, hosts live entertainment and private events and remains one of downtown Bryan’s long-running eateries.
For Carnes, opening another restaurant isn’t about growing a brand nearly as much as preserving a friendship. The lowercase “g” in g’s Southside Italian Cafe was intentional, she said, as it’s not meant to replace or compete with Mr. G’s.
“It is a nod and a tribute to Mr. G,” she said.
One more thing
Carnes told Community Impact Mr G’s plans to have specials and parties to celebrate 30 years.
In the meantime, Mr. G’s will operate during normal business hours, staying open until 9 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
