For almost two decades, Stella’s Pizzeria in Boca Raton has been a popular local eatery with a family-oriented history. Originally, the restaurant was called Perrini’s, the maiden name of the co-owners’ mother Estelle. In 2008, when Estelle became sick and later passed away, her sons Danny, who spoke to The Torch, and Patrick Rooney decided to reopen and rename the restaurant in her honor. Thus, Stella’s Pizzeria was created as a tribute to the woman who inspired the brothers’ love of cooking and ignited the values that shaped their approach to how they run their business. While the name may have changed, Stella’s has always been a family-owned and operated business. The team has immense pride in what they do, and they acknowledge that pizza can provide more than just sustenance.

Stella’s has continuously created a welcoming environment for families and their children. They offer job opportunities to local high school kids, providing work experience that will consequently improve social skills and provide valuable life lessons about the real world. This sets kids up for future work opportunities and success. Danny is a parent himself to two young girls, so he always tries to give advice and help everyone stay out of trouble. Danny most enjoys being able to give employees a nice working environment and providing customers with “consistently amazing pizza!” Since Stella’s has been in business, it has accumulated many regulars, some of whom have frequented the establishment for over a whopping 16 years. Stella’s also collaborates with many local schools, even offering school discounts, most notably to local elementary schools that throw large parties and fundraisers.  

Despite all of the support they have given to the community, there will always be hardships that come with owning a restaurant. Danny works hard every single day to make sure all of his responsibilities are taken care of. One of those main duties is managing not only his restaurant, but his family too because running a restaurant is not easy and takes up a large amount of his time. Due to this, he has to sacrifice time with his family and potentially miss special moments like Halloween. Another struggle of running a restaurant is finding good hires who care just as much about the services that Stella’s provides.

Not only is running a restaurant difficult, but owning a small business in general is challenging. Danny shared that the pandemic brought some of the toughest obstacles yet, with supply chain issues and increased costs affecting the restaurant industry. It was also much harder to provide employees with steady work. Danny specifically mentioned how custom pizza boxes were hard to get and how the price of oil and overhead bills increased greatly. Despite these hardships, Stella’s prevailed and stayed open to continue serving their loyal customers. “It’s the best in the Boca area,” claims a Yelp reviewer.  While the pizza is “mouthwatering,” another Yelp reviewer noted that the sandwiches are good too.  

Danny’s biggest wish is for Stella’s to always be run by someone who is as passionate about the restaurant as he is. For any students who one day want to start their own business, Danny’s biggest piece of advice is to “do your best, never give up, and to solve issues as they arise.” One may have to sacrifice time with family and friends to get a business up and running, but the hard work and consistency will always pay off.

Through it all, Stella’s Pizzeria has remained a cornerstone of the Boca Raton community. Each pizza sold represents more than just food; it’s a way of honoring Estelle, serving the community, and sharing a little piece of family with everyone who walks through the door. Stella’s has been a staple to the community of Boca Raton and will continue to be for many more years to come.