SHELBURNE FALLS — Paul Itsou grew up in restaurants his whole life. His parents owned a restaurant. He worked in his uncle’s restaurant. So when Itsou’s former coworker asked him to take over Buckland Pizza, despite having a job in sales, his answer came naturally.
“The timing was perfect,” Itsou said, recounting that he was tired of his corporate food distribution job and ready for a change. Meanwhile, Nick Gitsis, the former owner of Buckland Pizza, was grappling with health issues and looking to get out of the business.
Gitsis and Itsou were co-workers 25 years earlier at Itsou’s uncle’s restaurant in Bloomfield, Connecticut called Park Avenue Pizza. The restaurant was extremely similar to how Buckland Pizza is today, using many of the same recipes.
Itsou took over the pizzeria at 13 State St. on March 1, and feels the business has run smoothly since the change.
“I wanted to simplify my life, so I went back to where I started,” Itsou said.
Other than Mondays when the restaurant is closed, Itsou has not closed the restaurant a single day during the transition. Instead, he comes on Mondays, commuting more than an hour from Bloomfield, Connecticut, to renovate the restaurant piece by piece.
Itsou’s staff consists of his daughter, her girlfriend, his two nephews and an employee who has worked at Buckland Pizza for more than 20 years.
“We joke that he came with the business,” he said.
“My family knows what they are doing,” Itsou continued, saying they have all worked in restaurants before. His nephews worked in pizzerias, specifically.
As for the vision for his new restaurant, Itsou said, “I’m keeping it simple: pizza and grinders.”
Itsou has kept the same menu items that Buckland Pizza had before the ownership change, and is expanding the offerings rather than changing them. New items include gyros, taco salad, wraps and several appetizers.
“These recipes are from my uncle’s restaurant,” Itsou noted. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Hours also changed to accommodate patrons. Buckland Pizza is now open on Tuesdays. Additionally, indoor seating has opened up.
“It is very relaxing here. The people are phenomenal,” Itsou said of his customers, noting that between locals and tourists, he meets someone new each day. “People are so forgiving. They apologize to us when we burn the pizza and they have to wait longer!”
Buckland Pizza is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The business can be reached at 413-625-6342. For more information, visit bucklandpizza.com.