During a recent hot summer afternoon, Carlo Panzeri carries the food he just made out to a customer’s vehicle. The customer, an elderly man with a walker, needed a little help getting his hot pizza out to his hot car and the owner was more than happy to assist.

“Whatever it takes,” said Panzeri, walking back into Toarmina’s Pizza.

Panzeri is a “hands-on” owner of the Toarmina’s location at 27630 Seven Mile Road in Livonia. He took over the location in May, and has his hands not only in the dough but in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. His wife, Stephanie, also works for the business, also doing “whatever it takes” to help make this business venture a success.

There are 23 Toarmina’s locations in Michigan, and the Livonia restaurant has had several owners over the 30 years in the community. One of the first things Panzeri did was return to the original Toarmina sauce and focus on providing a constant, fresh-tasting pizza.

“We don’t buy anything frozen, everything we do is fresh,” he said. “We have a simple recipe that includes fresh vegetables and our own mozzarella. We don’t add any chemicals or anything like that. It’s all fresh. We want to deliver a high-quality, fresh and consistent pizza every time.”

Before taking ownership of the Livonia location, Panzeri worked for DO & CO International Catering, a premier gourmet catering and hospitality group that operates globally and is famous for providing high-end food and service for elite events such as Formula 1 and major airlines, including Delta and Emirates, and luxury lounges.

“I am from Italy and come from a family of four generations of bakers and moved to Chicago, where I was a pastry chef for DO & CO,” he said. “I worked in Chicago first and then Detroit, doing the same job for the same company. I was a pastry chef before taking ownership of Toarmina’s. It was just time for me to take that big step and open my own business and see what I can do for myself, my family and this community.”

Panzeri said he’s glad he made the move to the United States.

“I’m very happy here and trying to make a future in the U.S.,” he said. “It’s been hard with some challenges along the way. But I met my wife in Chicago and we have started a family. What I like about America is you have many opportunities to grow and make a good life for your family. They give you the tools to grow, you just have to be careful how you use those tools.”

Toarmina’s menu includes fresh bread and calzones, chicken wings (boneless or in-bone), lasagna, fresh salads and a wide variety of oven-baked subs. The pizza menu features specialty pizzas (veggie, deluxe, Mediterranean, Hawaiian and the coney dog pizza (limited time offer). Their gourmet pizzas include bbq chicken, grilled chicken, buffalo chicken, BLT, and steak and cheese.

Toarmina’s also offers different party packages, including a pizza party for eight ($50.99) that includes a 24-inch pizza with one topping, two cheese breads and a half party garden salad. They also cater events, and you can order online at toarminaspizza.com.

“I am here from morning to night and take great pride in what I do,” Panzeri said. “It doesn’t matter if you order 100 pizzas or one. We make every one fresh and the way you like it. We want every customer to enjoy our food. We are very happy to be a part of this wonderful community and are here to serve you.”

Whatever it takes.



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