Labriola History: Quality, Family, Tradition
Leonard Labriola Italian Foods – Quality, Family, Tradition - These are the concepts that make shopping at Labriola Italian Food Stores a unique experience. Our store motto is "Where the Best Costs Less", so the shelves, deli cases, dairy and frozen food sections are well stocked with a variety of fine foods from around the world at very affordable prices. Years of experience enables us to order excellent brands while keeping costs low.
We take great pride in our exceptional service to you, the customer. Labriola Italian Foods is a family run business. Our family name stands behind everything that we offer our customers. Three generations of the Labriola family have served Pittsburgh customers for over 80 years. Labriola's offers individual attention with luncheon meats and cheeses sliced to order, Panini sandwiches prepared while you wait, larger orders carried to your car, and smiling staff who really wants you to "Have a nice day”.
The best traditional Italian foods are available at Labriola's for recipes either passed on for generations or reinterpreted by modern media chefs. You will find pancetta, arborio rice, capers, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and the locally famous Labriola Italian sausage. Familiar Italian dishes are prepared in the stores for take home meals, from soups to desserts. There are fresh entrees like eggplant or chicken parmagiano, chicken romano, and lasagna; there are frozen specialties like wedding soup, minestra (pasta and beans), meatballs and ravioli; and there are the basics for quick meals like store made pizza or Italian hoagies; fresh baked pepperoni bread and pizzelle cookies, and Labriola's own varieties of pasta sauce.
Besides nationally known products like Boar's Head luncheon meats and cheeses and imported DeCecco pastas, Labriola's offers its customers the best of local products, many of them from other family businesses. Racks are piled high with Italian bread from BreadWorks Bakery located in the North Side of Pittsburgh and Rimini Bakery in East Liberty. Labriola's also stocks several varieties of popular Mancini's bread products and both Theresa's and Joyce's cookies, all baked in one sweet comer of Pittsburgh in McKees Rocks. Freezers are stocked with frozen pasta specialties from Victor's Ravioli located in Verona. Dairy cases are filled with products from local Turner's Dairy Farm and ricotta cheese from LaMagna Cheese Company in Verona. These are some of the favorites of both long-time, loyal Labriola customers and new visitors to each of the four store locations.
The first Labriola store was founded in the 1920's by Leonard Labriola, Sr. who fulfilled his American dream by offering the best produce and groceries to his neighbors on Larimer Avenue. In 1969, the family moved their food business to 121 Hulton Road in Penn Hills, and the second generation of Labriolas, led by Leonard, Jr. and his siblings Rose, Camille and Eugene, began to establish their business reputation with a broader customer base. Rose Labriola now manages the Penn Hills store, its staff and its kitchen. By 1985, another Labriola Food store was opened in a new neighborhood at 605 Freeport Road near the Waterworks in Aspinwall. Camille Labriola Miksic runs operations at this Aspinwall location. In 2004, a larger store opened in more commercial surroundings at 4039 Monroeville Boulevard in the busy suburb of Monroeville. The Monroeville store is managed by Eugene Labriola. Our latest store in the North Hills area, is managed by a third generation Labriola, Leonard's son, Lenny. Lenny is carrying on the proud family tradition started so many years ago by his grandfather and the entire Labriola family.
