ABOUT US

In 2004, Pizzeria Luigi first opened its doors in the wonderful community of Golden Hill – overlooking Downtown San Diego.  Since that time, we have been serving award-winning New York-style pizza. Pizzeria Luigi’s success is a result of being a neighborhood, family-friendly establishment serving whole pizzas, pizzas by the slice, and simple Italian dishes.  We also were there at the dawn of the nascent local Craft Beer scene and industry, supporting the new breweries that opened in town. This success helped open a second location in North Park in 2009.  In 2017, Luigi opened a third location in Imperial Beach. 

Growing up, owner Luigi Agostini lived in Varese, Italy — north of Milano.  He stayed in Italy until the age of 23. In search of adventure, Luigi took a chance and left his small hometown for San Francisco. There, he began what would be years of cooking and pizza making in restaurants from Los Angeles to Hawaii, and finally, San Diego before opening his very first pizzeria in Poway, California in 2002. 

At the time, Luigi was a resident of Golden Hill, commuting daily to his suburban pizzeria. While business was good, and Luigi’s pies were popular, something was missing…

According to Luigi, Golden Hill reminded him of his hometown in Italy; A small community where everyone knows each other. People walked, skateboarded, rode bikes and scooters. Most importantly, the neighborhood frequented local, independent businesses. Luigi wanted a piece of that pie.  That’s when he found a vacant spot and took a chance on Golden Hill.

A short time later, Luigi sold his pizzeria in Poway and opened up shop in Golden Hill. Very quickly, Pizzeria Luigi became a neighborhood institution for fast, affordable, and simple Italian food served from lunch to late-night. 

After a pivotal visit from Guy Fieri and Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins & Dives in the Fall of 2008, Pizzeria Luigi’s business skyrocketed & pizza enthusiasts traveled from near and far for a slice of his signature pizzas. 

The importance of community is a value that Pizzeria Luigi operates by. Just as the Golden Hill shop has been an integral part of the neighborhood, Luigi did the same with his North Park location. In August 2013, Pizzeria Luigi was once again on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives when host Guy Fieri revisited one of his all-time favorite restaurants. 

Guy and Luigi are friends to this day!