IN Peters Township October/November 2019 | Page 38

INPERSON
A Delicious Tradition
Peters Township’s
Alexander Hvizdos keeps
his family’s business alive
with the reopening of
South Hills staple Danny’s
Pizza and Hoagies.
BY NICOLE TAFE
P
eters Township’s Alexander
Hvizdos is keeping his family’s
business and hard work alive.
Danny’s Pizza and Hoagies—a
staple in the South Hills area for great
eats—closed for a few months earlier
this year, but thanks to Hvizdos and
a few of his other family members,
it’s reopened and back in business.
Hvizdos, 24, graduated from
Peters Township High School in
2013. He has many fond memories
of his time at PT where he was a five-
year member of the Mighty Indian
Marching Band. “I don’t plan to leave
Peters anytime soon,” says Hvizdos.
“It’s been my home for so long, and I
enjoy living here.”
Danny’s Pizza and Hoagies was started
in 1960 by Hvizdos’ uncle, Daniel
Rowsick Sr. The shop currently offers
pizza, hoagies, wings and salad—and is
most well-known for its famous Italian
and steak hoagies. “We primarily serve
the South Hills area including Bethel
Park, South Park, Mt. Lebanon, Peters
and Baldwin,” adds Hvizdos.
“I wanted to reopen Danny’s to
continue what my uncle started in 1960
and take the restaurant back to its roots,”
he explains. The shop was closed for two
and a half months during which time,
Hvizdos and his family cleaned, replaced
equipment and reorganized the shop.
The grand reopening took place Aug.
15. “This business is important to me
because it was a big part of my life when
I was growing up,” says Hvizdos. “I can
remember spending time there with my
aunt and sister when I was little.”
To Hvizdos, his family and many
loyal patrons throughout the South
Hills, Danny’s is an important part of
the community. Patrons from as far away
as the state of California have made
Danny’s Pizza and Hoagies a “must-stop”
when in town, and people have brought
in stories and memories from all over the
world to the little South Hills shop.
“I think that Danny’s is important to
the community because it’s not just a
restaurant—it’s been a gathering place
for generations, dating back to when
there was a drive-in just next door,” says
Hvizdos. “Everyone who comes into
the store has a story to tell about how
Danny’s fits into their life. People move
away from the Pittsburgh area, but every
time they come back, one of their first
stops is to Danny’s for a hoagie.”
Hvizdos would love to expand the
brand in the future. “As for what that may
look like—the sky’s the limit,” he says.   ■
For more information, find Danny’s Pizza on Facebook.
36
724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE
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