By: Leif Bromme
On Oct. 3, 2025, Steve and Jen DeFazio opened the doors of their family pizzeria. For the past four months, they have served the community with fresh, oven-fired pizzas.
Steve and his son James DeFazio described how their family’s dream traveled from Utica, New York, to a storefront in Collegedale.
“I’ve never been in the food industry,” said Steve, “but I’ve always wanted a pizzeria. When I was a kid in New York, everyone had a pizzeria. You’d go there to hang out, have school lunch. … I thought it would be cool to own one of my own.”
As Steve married and grew his family, he put those thoughts on hold. It wasn’t until he turned 50 that he began to reconsider his childhood dream. The DeFazios were driving along Ooltewah-Ringgold Road when they noticed a storefront available. Jen originally had ideas about converting the space into a café, but it proved too small.
“It was perfect for what I wanted to do,” Steve explained. “We just put it in God’s hands; if there were signs, maybe we’d do it.”
After a call to the seller revealed an exceptional rent price, the family wasted no time embracing the opportunity. With a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, the DeFazios worked to renovate the storefront and open their pizzeria to customers. Training their crew on the culinary side was James, who had already gained three years of experience at Pizza Bros.
“It really helped us start off,” James said, “because the hardest part of pizza making is throwing the pies in the air. In my three and a half years of experience, they taught me how to throw, so when I got here, I taught everyone else.”
During an interview with the Accent, the conversation always circled back to two values that serve as the foundation for the pizzeria: family bonds and authentic food. Many of the employees at DeFazio’s are family members or longtime friends.
“The biggest thing is that it’s family-oriented,” Steve said. “Anybody that we bring in here is like family .. We all have a good time together. Everybody that’s worked here has been to my house. I’m not the business owner who says, ‘Nobody goes near my house.’”
The DeFazios wanted to fill a culinary niche in Collegedale that other pizzerias had neglected. While many chains use “conveyor belt” setups, where the pizzas are fed through an oven for a set interval, DeFazio’s uses brick ovens. The ovens allow the pizzas to develop a crispy bottom crust without burning—a traditional standard for New York-style pizzas. In addition, they allow cooks to customize the style of pizza depending on what the customer wants.
“There’s no set time,” James explained. “We basically let you choose how you want it. We can undercook it, we can cook it normal [or] if you want it more cooked, we can do that too. That’s just part of the brick oven.”
From the counter, customers can watch cooks throwing homemade dough before topping the pies with everything from Italian sausage to sundried tomatoes. The menu also includes vegan and vegetarian options.
Despite the diverse offerings, foot traffic was low for a while after the pizzeria first opened. James said that a TikTok review by local influencer Cameron Parker spurred a new wave of customers who fell in love with the pizzeria. The surge in business could have overwhelmed a new restaurant, but the staff embraced the momentum.
“I was the first employee hired,” said Faris Sayar. “There’s a family atmosphere. Everyone’s kind. It’s not a drag coming in, because it’s a lot of fun.”
James DeFazio’s fiancé, Maddie Williams, also works at the pizzeria and appreciates time with customers.
“Just seeing people smile brings me comfort and joy,” she said. “Genuinely just making connections with others.” She pointed to customer Doug Hodges, who had just arrived at the counter. “He’s one of the regulars!”
Hodges first noticed the pizzeria while driving, long before the TikTok review. He attended the Oct. 3 opening and has frequented the spot ever since.
“I knew as soon as I tried the quality of the pizza they were bringing to the table that they were going to do very well,” he said. “It’s not doughy, just more authentic. Way better quality ingredients than all your fast-food stuff around here anyway. Nobody else is making pizza like this. Nobody.”
While reviews like his are encouraging, the family has also experienced setbacks. Steve was most surprised by food costs for the first four months. The bill for ingredients alone soared past $80,000; adding operating costs, salaries and rent only increased the expenditure. Still, Steve said he is confident, emphasizing that the pizzeria has been self-sufficient from day one and that the family has not been forced to dip into any savings to supplement the operation. He even looks forward to expanding someday.
“We have a ton of our sauce around here,” he laughed, pointing to the storage bins and sauce kegs stacked against the wall. “We need more space.”
Above all, the DeFazios encourage entrepreneurs to look past potential obstacles and commit to their ideas.
“Do it,” he emphasized. “Just do it. I held back for 50 years, and I never really looked into pizzerias. I could never just drop it and start one. But all my businesses have been started with no money. My wife says we opened this on a dollar and a dream, and we did. You’ve gotta take a chance and do some research.”
