As it expands into a new production facility, Palermo Villa continues to prove its popularity with every slice
There’s nothing better than indulging in your favorite comfort food and, for many of us, a delicious pizza is our first choice. Whether you’re watching the Super Bowl with friends, having a relaxing meal with the family or simply tending to your own craving, our love for pizza remains unmatched.
Combining convenience with tantalizing taste, Palermo Villa (Palermo) is the pizzaiolo powerhouse championing passion and authenticity with every slice. A true leader in the manufacture of frozen pizza for its own brands and private-label clients, Palermo is a family-owned company with a rich heritage spanning back to 1964. The business was founded from humble roots in a single bakery built out of a converted house, but fast forward 60 years and Palermo is now one of the US’ largest producers of frozen pizza, with its vast portfolio of products taking center stage with pizza lovers across the country.
Food Chain last spoke with Palermo back in July 2024, where Chief Product and Innovation Officer, Nick Fallucca, revealed the company’s plans to open a new manufacturing facility – a move that marked a fresh chapter in Palermo’s journey. In the last 12 months, the company has continued to grow and prosper, expanding into new market channels and unveiling a series of exciting collaborations and developments. Palermo has recently partnered with some of the world’s most famous brands, including Cheez-It®, RAGÚ®, and even Stranger Things, however one of its biggest evolutions of late is the launch of its brand-new bakery. The new state-of-the-art facility is set to be opened later this year and will be situated just a couple of miles from Palermo’s main headquarters. In August 2025, Nick rejoins Food Chain to share insight into the new bakery and how it’s set to fuel further growth and innovation for the company. He starts by revealing the inspiration behind some of the bakery’s technology and how it opens the doors to delicious new products.
“When we were traveling throughout Europe and Italy, we were inspired by the breads and we really wanted to be able to replicate that top quality, artisan dough,” Nick begins. “While we have three bakeries on site, we didn’t have any equipment to do a true 24-hour ferment or a super high hydration, so the combination of having a 24-hour dough, high hydration and the ability to bake it in a wood fired oven really gives us the opportunity to sell this unique product into different channels. On this line, we can now make the products that we fell in love with in Rome, such as the traditional Neapolitan-style flatbreads, focaccias and ciabattas, and we’ll also be introducing some new products for our own brand in the deli and frozen channels.
“Our new bakery will be open by the end of the year. It’s going to be a real state-of-the-art facility; it’s the only one of its kind in North America and will have technologies and innovations that we could’ve only dreamt of.”
Continuous improvement
Innovation lies at the heart of Palermo, and the company is committed to driving a culture of continuous improvement, whether it’s by investing in its operational efficiency or experimenting with new product profiles for its customers.
“We’re trying to optimize our current facilities as much as we can. Sustainability is a big thing for us and it’s important that we minimize our waste. Whether it’s
controlling the amount of ingredients we put on each pizza or reducing the packaging size from our supplies, we’ve been optimizing and innovating our waste reduction processes,” Nick elaborates. “For example, we recently launched a new item with Cheez-It® where we wanted the crust to eat like a Cheez-It® cracker. To do this, we had to buy new tooling and new dyes, and we also had to figure out the maximum amount of cheddar cheese that we can use to ensure that the color, taste and texture was right. It was a big advancement for us and one that was implemented in our current facility.”
Palermo’s partnership with Cheez-It® has not been its only fun collaboration of late. In recent years, the company joined forces with the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, to bring its world to life in the tastiest way. In celebration of the series’ success, Palermo transformed the Surfer Boy Pizza – the fictional pizza chain in the Stranger Things universe – into reality. The product took fans by storm, who fell in love with its signature retro packaging design as seen in the show and the variety of flavors available.
“When the last season came out, Stranger Things contacted us to create Surfer Boy Pizza, and with the new season rolling around, we really wanted to highlight our love of the Stranger Things brand. There’s a sticker giveaway inside every pack, which is cool because the consumers can go and buy different products to collect them all, and we hope that they’ll be able to enjoy the Stranger Things pizzas whilst watching the new season,” Nick comments.
Mouthwatering master-pizzas
In terms of research and development – whether it be in adherence to new market trends, client expectations or pop-culture promotions – Palermo goes the extra mile in crafting its mouthwatering masterpieces. With the new manufacturing site further enhancing its operational capabilities, the possibilities are truly endless.
“A customer comes to us with an idea that they’d like us to develop; alternatively, we show them different innovations that we’re working on based on our company’s R&D capabilities. We’ll send out 50-to-60 different concepts to consumers and see if they’re willing to buy any of them. Some of the concepts may be unfeasible, but it’s good to understand what our consumers are looking for so we can develop the technology for the future, much like with our new high-hydration artisan dough,” Nick explains. “There are a lot of different international trends surrounding pizza. Italy and America, for instance, have their own styles of pizza, so we try to look at what’s trending in foods and flavors, as well as what people are willing to buy enough of to keep the product on the shelf. For us, it’s always a delicate balance of pushing the edge of innovation whilst also understanding that it takes a lot of time and money to push something new out to the market.
“Our new facility is just a piece of the puzzle. We’re continuously looking for ways to improve our pizzas and our processes to keep everything up to date and refreshed. Everything, from the way we source our ingredients to the way we market our products, is all centered around continuous improvement and innovation.”
Expanding product portfolio
Building on its legacy of pizza perfection, Palermo is well-positioned for continued growth and success. Optimistic for the future, the company remains dedicated to providing the nation’s favorite pizzas for many more generations to come, holding a special place in its consumers’ freezers – and their hearts. As our conversation draws to a close, Nick reveals what Palermo’s next chapter might hold.
“The frozen pizza industry in the US is worth around $6 billion, which is exciting for us. There’s so much opportunity for us to get into food service, not just with our pizzas but with these amazing new bread products. We know that labor is still a challenge in the world of food service and it’s getting harder to find people to make these high-quality items at scale, so we’re aiming to be as solution-based as we can,” he affirms. “The industry is rapidly changing, and prices are getting higher, but if we can continue to produce exceptional, high-quality food items, I think it’ll accelerate our growth. What’s even more exciting is that we’re currently only using half of our new facility, leaving the other half open to create whatever we want.”
“Over the next 12 months, we’re going to be looking at what is new and exciting, and how we can position ourselves to do whatever that is at scale and provide value to our customers and consumers,” Nick concludes.