Adam and Katie Womack begin every morning at 5 a.m. in the kitchen of Locatelli's Pizza in Tomball preparing the pizza dough to be used for the day at all three of their locations.

"We are still the only ones who make all the dough for our pizzas and who know the recipe," Adam said. "We get up every morning at 4 a.m. so that we can be at the Tomball location by 5 a.m. to get all the pizza dough ready in time before the kitchen staff arrive."

Adam found the recipe for the dough—a Womack family secret—on an index card dated 1956 and written by his grandmother, he said. The dough recipe, along with other recipes from his mother's kitchen, would be the impetus for their foray into the restaurant business. After about a year in their own kitchen testing and perfecting their recipes, the Womacks found the taste they were seeking and opened their first location on Oct. 1, 2003, in Cypress.

"Our big claim to fame is that we make everything from scratch and it is fresh and never frozen," Katie said. "Everything is cooked and cut fresh every day and made with the highest quality of ingredients."

When the Womacks first opened Locatelli's Pizza in Cypress, the menu only included pizza, one salad and two sandwiches, Adam said. The menu is now much more extensive and boasts a wide variety of appetizers, salads, pastas, pizza, sandwiches and desserts. All locations also offer beer and wine options, he said.

"The reason our menu has evolved to what it is today came from listening to our customers," Adam said.

The menu at Locatelli's, however, would not be the only thing to evolve and expand as a result of customer feedback. The Womacks would eventually expand their operations to the Tomball area with the opening of their second location on April 6, 2012, Adam said.

"It took us eight years to get enough courage to decide to open a second location, which is something we never anticipated," Adam said. "The start of the Tomball location was due to customer requests. We were drawing a large number of customers for years from Tomball at the Cypress location, and they kept telling us Tomball was a great location."

Launching a second location in Tomball has proven to be a successful endeavor as the restaurant has seen a 40 percent increase in business in the two years since it opened, Adam said. Much of the success at the Tomball location is attributed to customer loyalty, word-of-mouth advertising and recognition in the area, he said.

The success of the Tomball location was the determining factor in the couple's decision to continue expanding their brand, he said. Because the Tomball location experienced such success, the Womacks opened their third location on June 3 in the Memorial area in Houston and have signed a lease on a fourth location near the Fairfield subdivision, Adam said.

The couple also recently broke ground on a commissary they will build off Grant Road. The commissary will serve as a central kitchen for all locations to ensure consistency and quality control among all their locations, Adam said. The salad dressings, sauces, dough and desserts for all locations will be prepared at the central kitchen.

"It was really the decision to come to Tomball and the people of Tomball that have made our expansion and success possible," Adam said. "We think we have 10 more good years in us, and we have a goal of opening up two new locations per year. Our goal is to have 20 locations in the Houston area, which will all be controlled out of the commissary."

Owner recommendations

• Telli cheese fries: Crispy fries that are smothered with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and topped with bacon and jalapeos. Served with ranch dressing on the side. ($7.49)
• Lasagna: This pasta dish is layered with four kinds of cheese, noodles, sausage, meatballs and homemade marinara sauce. ($12.49)
• BlancaTelli: A pizza made with Alfredo sauce, fresh spinach, grilled chicken breast, pineapple and bacon. ($5.79–$19.49)

$8.99 lunch specials

• Slice special: A pizza slice with up to two toppings, a house salad and a soft drink or tea
• Sandwich special: Any of Locatelli's sandwiches served with French fries and a soft drink or tea
• Ziti special: Locatelli's baked ziti served with garlic bread, a house salad and a soft drink or tea

Locatelli's Pizza, 14257 FM 2920, Ste. 100, Tomball 281-255-8800, www.locatellis.com, Hours: Tue.–Thu. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.