# Papa Gino's

> Papa Gino's is a New England pizzeria chain known for its thin-crust pizza, pasta, and subs. Founded in East Boston in 1961 by Italian immigrant Michael Valerio and his wife Helen as a by-the-slice shop called Piece O' Pizza, it grew into a regional institution across Massachusetts and neighboring states. After a 2018 bankruptcy that shrank the chain dramatically, it was bought by Wynnchurch Capital and now operates roughly 78-79 locations, leaning on its New England roots and a 2026 partnership with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye to win back fans.

- **Founded:** 1961
- **Headquarters:** Dedham, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Michael Valerio (Co-founder), Helen Valerio (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~2,800 employees
- **Products:** Thin-crust pizza, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Pasta, Submarine sandwiches & salads, Online ordering & delivery
- **Notable:** Grew from a single East Boston slice shop to roughly 220 locations by 1991., Recognized by the Pizza Hall of Fame as one of America's enduring pizzerias., Survived a 2018 Chapter 11 bankruptcy and continues operating across New England.

## Products & services

- **Thin-crust pizza** — Papa Gino's signature thin-crust pizza, the core of the menu since the 1960s.
- **Stuffed Crust Pizza** — Pizza launched in 2026 alongside the Drake Maye 'Dough Delivery' campaign.
- **Pasta** — Italian pasta dishes served across locations.
- **Submarine sandwiches & salads** — Subs, salads, and appetizers rounding out the menu, with subs tied to sister brand D'Angelo.
- **Online ordering & delivery** — Digital ordering through papaginos.com and delivery partnerships.

## Achievements

- Grew from a single East Boston slice shop to roughly 220 locations by 1991.
- Recognized by the Pizza Hall of Fame as one of America's enduring pizzerias.
- Survived a 2018 Chapter 11 bankruptcy and continues operating across New England.
- Among the early pizza brands to expand into malls and shopping centers in the 1970s.
- Acquired D'Angelo Sandwich Shops in 1997, building a multi-brand New England food group.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Announced a partnership with New England Patriots QB Drake Maye and launched a new Stuffed Crust Pizza with the 'Dough Delivery with Drake Maye' campaign.
- **2026-05** — Debuted its first Drake Maye commercial at the MayeDay Family Foundation Celebrity Softball Classic at Polar Park in Worcester, in front of 9,500 fans.
- **2025** — Operated roughly 78 locations across New England, including about 62 in Massachusetts.
- **2022-06** — Opened its first new restaurant since emerging from bankruptcy.

## Links

- Website: https://papaginos.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/papaginos
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/papaginos
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/papaginos
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papaginos/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/papa.ginos

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/papa-gino-s
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-13