242. Live in the Pizza Biz with Joe Argento, Mama’s Meatballs & Pizzeria

The Hot Slice

This week, Denise and Josh sit down with Joe Argento, co-owner of Mama’s Meatballs & Pizzeria in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Joe grew up in the pizza business and began working at his grandmother’s shop at age 8.

Joe went on to own his own pizzeria, but was ready to switch directions. His wife, Katherine, wanted to be in the food truck business, but Joe still wanted a storefront of some kind. As luck would have it, an existing restaurant/food truck became available in Pennsauken. While, at first, the business functioned as a sandwich shop, Joe and Katherine quickly knew that pizza needed to be part of the equation.

Mama’s Meatballs & Pizzeria has an expanded menu and drives creativity with offerings, like turning jumbo garlic knots into sliders. The delivery and carryout shop serves New York-style, Sicilian and Grandma pizza, an assortment of sandwiches and five different meatballs.

We talk shop in a casual conversation. We even explore when Joe and Katherine decided to reverse course on expanding the business into a neighboring storefront and honed in on the future of the business to one day own the space and build his dream kitchen and storefront, include dine-in seating.

Learn more about Mama’s Meatballs & Pizzeria at https://www.mamasmeatballs.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mamas.meatballs/.