Sammy’s Pizza impact on the Northland after nearly 70 years

After opening in 1954, Sammy’s pizza has been serving up smiles all across the Midwest.

Sam Perrella, or as the Sammy’s family likes to call him Grandpa Sam, played a key role in introducing pizza to the Iron Range.

The story goes Sam heard stories from World War II veterans about foods they discovered in Italy which included pizza. He decided he wanted to learn more and traveled to Chicago to learn basic recipes. He then combined family recipes with the pizza recipes he learned, hence Sammy’s was born.

“To think about the fact that we are 69 years into this and still doing well, it’s amazing. Grandpa Sam left us all quite the legacy,” says the owner of the Cloquet location, Mike Acheson

According to Acheson, there are three ingredients that Sammy’s incorporates into their pizzas in a way that other restaurants don’t.

Mike says, “The three main ingredients in our pizza that are unique to Sammy’s, and have been that way and will remain that way, are our sauce, our dough, and we still to this day make our sausage fresh in store everyday.”

He also added, “Sammy’s is just and extension of our entre family, so when I walk into a Sammy’s I’m not in a restaurant, I’m in a relatives house.”