Owners serve up traditional, signature pizzas

More than 50 years ago, Adam Womack's grandmother wrote down a pizza dough recipe that would one day encourage her grandson to open his own restaurant with his wife, Katie Womack.

The couple opened Locatelli's Pizza in Cypress more than 10 years ago and uses the original recipe as a basis for their food. The restaurant hit its stride after Hurricane Rita hit the Texas coast in 2005, as it was one of the only businesses to re-open the next day.

"It was the best advertising we could have gotten," Adam Womack said. "Business has really boomed since that happened."

The pizza at Locatelli's can be purchased by the slice, or served in 13 or 17-inch pies. The restaurant offers a traditional cheese pizza with numerous topping choices such as bacon, pineapple, sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. More than 10 specialty pizzas made fresh are also available. The HawaiiaTelli with Heat ($13.49–$17.49) features ham, pineapple, bacon, red bell pepper and jalapeos. A twist on traditional pizza, the PestaTelli ($13.49–$17.49) has house-made pesto sauce, four types of cheese, tomatoes and grilled chicken.

The Womack's offer a wide variety of salads, pasta and sandwiches on their extensive menu, compared to when they started in 2003 with just pizza, one salad and one sandwich. The My Big Fat Greek Salad ($8.49) has cucumber, tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, red onion, cheese, lettuce and Greek dressing. The lasagna ($11.99) includes four types of cheese, noodles, sausage, meatballs and homemade marinara sauce.

"We are fortunate that we have very loyal customers," Adam Womack said. "We have people come in for lunch and see them at dinner that same night. Some of our customers come in literally every single day. People can't seem to get enough of our food."

The food is no longer unique to just Cypress. The Womack's opened a second location in Tomball last month, and they have plans to open more in the future. They are considering locations such as The Woodlands, Sugar Land and Katy, but are also discussing franchise opportunities.

"We have gotten customers saying they would like to be investors, even some of our old customers that moved out of town," Adam Womack said. "That motivated us to look at a second restaurant and think about franchising."

The couple does not spend much money on advertising, but instead uses it to improve their products.

"It may be a pride thing," Adam Womack said. "I've always had a passion for food and cooking."

Owner Recommendations

• Tortellini Pesto: Tri-colored ring shaped pasta, filled with cheese, topped with homemade pesto sauce and freshly grated Romano cheese ($9.99)
• StuffaTelli: A pizza with sausage, pepperonis, meatballs, mushrooms, red bell peppers and black olives (slice-$5.89, 10"-$10.39, 13"-$14.49, 17"-$18.49)
• Ham Bam: A toasted French roll and mayo, stuffed with thinly sliced baked ham, topped with sauted jalapeo and banana peppers, red onions, red bell peppers and held together with melted provolone cheese ($6.99)
• Baked Ziti: Tube shaped pasta blended with homemade marinara sauce and ricotta cheese, topped with mozzarella and provolone cheeses and baked to a golden brown ($8.99)

Specials

• 17-inch one-topping pizza for $10.99 every Tuesday
• Diners can purchase two 13-inch two-topping pizzas for $16.99 every Thursday
• The $7.99 lunch special includes a piece of pizza—a quarter of a 17-inch pizza— with two toppings, salad and a drink

Locatelli's Pizza, 13215 Grant Road, Cypress, 832-717-3300, www.locatellis.com

• Tue.–Thu. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
• Sun 11 a.m.–9 p.m.