Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Tiso.

Hi Victoria, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

My story started at Louie and Ernie’s Pizza in The Bronx working for my father. For years I worked for him while I was coaching college softball . It was the best of both worlds but eventually I chose to go into the pizza world full time. I love how creative pizza is and how the culture has been evolving within the community. I decided to open my own pizzeria in March of 2024 on Long Island called Tori T’s Pizzeria. Tori T’s is a place where all my ideas and recipes come to life. I take pride in showing the different styles of pizza we make and how far I have come as a women in pizza.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

One of the biggest struggles was transitioning from being just a waitress to full blown pizza maker. I had to learn how to make pizza, how to stretch dough, learn different styles and techniques that worked for me due to my height. Being that I was so rehearsed in operations and management during my time in sports, I found it easy when opening my own place. I implemented the same systems I used as a coach and found balance in becoming a owner / operator/ pizza maker. I hit plenty of speed bumps when it came to repairs, equipment fails , staffing etc but I always took each day as it came and embraced the hard days.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

Tori T’s Pizzeria is one of the only women owned pizzerias in Long Island and part of a small community within New York. We are a pizzeria that specializes in classic NY style pizza and Detroit style pizza. We have a full kitchen that is serving great food from recipes I have learned throughout my years in the industry. I am so proud of my staff and how far we have come in one year. We all put in the time and effort to make this place great! Within the first couple of weeks I got my name out there by being very involved in the community, supporting schools, children’s teams and raising awareness for the Village of Malverne. It’s true when they say “it takes a village” the ongoing support from the neighboring towns and within the village has been remarkable.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

One of the best things I can say about networking is to never get discouraged. With social media and phones being so accessible you can always reach out to people for advice . My mom would always tell me “you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar” and it’s the same when it comes to reaching out to people. Be open, be kind, be respectful, be understanding , realize it’s ok to have differences that’s what makes us all unique. Chances are someone has either experienced what you are going through or knows someone who has that can point you in the right direction. Over the past 5 years I have made so many different connections because of how close the pizza community is. Get out , get involved , ask the difficult questions and share what you learn with others. We are all in this together. If you are in it for yourself its going to be a very lonely road. Greed wont get you anywhere in life!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://toritspizzeria.com
• Instagram: tori_tspizzeria

Image Credits

Matthew Indiviglio