Marcello's New York Pizza to celebrate its grand opening Saturday

MEDINA TWP. — Freshly made pizza slices, garlic knots and pepperoni rolls line the counter at Marcello's New York Pizza in Medina Township, engulfing anyone walking in with the aromas of the pizza shop. Marcello's New York Pizza, 2777 Medina Road, opened its doors in December. Since then, people have stopped in to share their excitement about the new pizza shop. The pizza shop is named after Marcello Rossi, who can be found in the kitchen, hand-making the dishes himself. Everything at Marcello's New York Pizza is homemade and his recipe, Rossi said. Originally from Naples, Rossi moved to the United States in 1976 and has spent decades making pizza. Rossi worked in New York City for about 20 years and worked for several pizza shops throughout Northeast Ohio. Now, with a shop named after him, Rossi is feeling great about the business and opportunity. Rossi was brought into the shop by owners Fanny and Chris Lang, who were once neighbors of his. Fanny Lang said that when she stumbled into the open space within Plaza 71, it seemed like a good adventure. With a pizza oven in the space, she said that pizza seemed to be the way to go and started to talk with Rossi. With Rossi's willingness to help, Fanny Lang said they had their vision set on bringing New York-style pizza to the area. Chris Lang said they traveled to Michigan to purchase stone ovens, which they now use to bake their pizzas. Besides the homemade dough and sauce, Fanny Lang said they like to support local wherever they can. But, with how expensive basil can be, she said they grew their own to offset the costs. With the help of her son-in-law, Fanny Lang now has a small, wooden vegetable garden stand in the back with basil, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. While the business has been open for several months, Marcello's will hold its grand opening on Saturday, starting at noon. There will be raffles, gifts and free food available for those who stop by. Fanny Lang also asked that anyone who plans on coming bring some nonperishable food to donate for the Texas flood victims. Looking to the future, Fanny Lang hopes to support the Medina community in any way they can. Through Aug. 1, Marcello's is offering a free cheese pizza slice for kids, knowing that they are out of school and may not have access to lunch. Fanny Lang hopes for new and returning customers to visit the pizza shop, wanting to stay and serve the Medina community for a long time. "Every day we have someone come in and say, 'We didn't know you were here. We're so glad to find you,'" Chris Lang said. To learn more about Marcello's, visit marcellonypizza.com. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.