NEW OWNER HAS DEEP ROOTS IN ITALIAN FOOD.
“As a child, I remember on Sunday our family would gather at my Nonnie’s house,” Frank Fautas said. “Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins filled the house. We would gather around the table and feast on giant bowls of pasta and gallons of sauce we would call ‘gravy.’ It is the memory that inspired me to share my version of Grandma’s Sunday gravy with everyone. I have always wanted to share my passion for food with others.”
Fautas has worked in the restaurant business for much of his lifetime. His father was an Italian chef, so Frank grew up in the business. “I got out of it for a long time. I have eaten here for 13 years, and I always told my wife if this place ever came for sale I would love to buy it,” Frank said. “Lo and behold, the right timing came up. We found out it was for sale, and I pursued it. It just worked out. I love the area. I love Plant City. I like the small-town feel. I know we don’t pull from a huge draw like they do in Brandon, but I like the locals here. I have come to know the regulars that come here. I learn them—they learn me. It is a pretty cool feeling.”
George Katinos is continuing as the manager for Esposito Pizza. “George is unbelievable,” Fautas commented. “I couldn’t do this without him. George has held this place together for many years. He has been a rock to me.”
The Esposito Pizza menu has significantly changed. “I have updated the menu. Some of my fondest memories were in the kitchen with my mom,” Fautas said. “I miss my mom—cooking with my mom. This menu is a tribute to our time together. I want people to come here not knowing what to expect, and to be blown away by what they get. I had some regular customers that come in here—they stopped me and said, ‘I just want to let you know I can tell the quality of the food has gone up significantly since you have been here.’”
Most places serve eight to nine ounces of pasta. At Esposito Pizza, pasta dishes are 20 ounces or more. “I want people to leave here full and happy,” Fautas said. “People work hard for their money. I want them to feel like they got value for the money they spent.”
