March 8, 2010
Famous Famiglia's Pearl Harbor Naval Base location was selected as The Best Concession Vendor for the month of February. Awards are based on customer feedback, mystery shopper, and observations.
March 5, 2010
Famous Famiglia expands its presence with the United States Navy. The company signs its third location with the U.S. Navy at the Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California.
February 23, 2010
Famous Famiglia's LaGuardia Airport location received the "Most Improved Award" at the MarketPlace Development 'Quest for the Best' Awards Ceremony.
January 20, 2010
On Tuesday, January 19, 2010, Famous Famiglia held an all-day fundraiser for the earthquake victims of Haiti at the 50th and Broadway Famous Famiglia pizzeria. A total of $14,565 was raised through sales, donations, and a generous gift given by the Famous Famiglia organization. The day's total sales were donated to Hearts with Haiti, and The American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.
Click to view press release.
January 15, 2010
Famous Famiglia will support the relief efforts for the earthquake victims of Haiti by holding an all-day fundraiser at their 50th and Broadway pizzeria. On Tuesday, January 19, 2010, the day's total proceeds from the 50th and Broadway Famous Famiglia will be donated to Hearts With Haiti and The American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. Please join us to help support those in need!
Click to view press release.
January 4, 2010
Famous Famiglia announces its latest opening at Somerset Medical Center! The pizzeria is located on the hospital's campus in Somerville, New Jersey and serves hospital employees, guests, and patients.
December 11, 2009
Famous Famiglia spreads holiday cheer in Harlem! On December 13, 2009 the Famous Famiglia founding family will host a special holiday party for the Harlem community at the 125th Street and Lexington Avenue pizzeria.
Click to view press release.
November 25, 2009
In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, Famous Famiglia co-founders and friends visited four New York City shelters to donate pizzas to families.
November 12, 2009
Famous Famiglia ranks 39th on Pizza Today's 2009 Top 100 Pizza Companies List, placing Famous Famiglia amongst the Top 50 pizza companies in the United States for the third year in a row!
November 5, 2009
Famous Famiglia completes its seventh consecutive year as the Official Pizza of the New York Yankees and looks forward to serving its pizza next year at the home of the World Champion New York Yankees.
November 4, 2009
Famous Famiglia is listed on Technomic's Top 100 Emerging Chain Restaurant Report.
October 30, 2009
Famous Famiglia announces the opening of its latest casino location at the Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, Arizona.
October 19, 2009
Famous Famiglia is nominated for five 2010 ARN Awards: Food Operator with Highest Regard for Customer Service, Best Restaurant Design, Best Food & Beverage Brand Operator, Best Overall Food & Beverage Operator, and Best Franchisor. Winners will be announced in March 2010. Since 2001, Famous Famiglia has earned twelve First Place ARN awards, an accomplishment unmatched in the industry.
October 15, 2009
The Food & Shops at LaGuardia Airport and Famous Famiglia are partnering to stage a fun-filled Pizza Eating Contest for all LaGuardia employees on Thursday, November 19th at 12:00pm in LaGuardia's Central Terminal Food & Shops, Lower Level. Employees are encouraged to register for the contest on October 22nd at 2:00pm at Famous Famiglia, Lower Level. John Kolaj, Famous Famiglia Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, will select six “eaters” for the competition based on a private interviewing process. Generous cash prizes will be awarded: First Prize- $1,000!
Click to view press release.
October 14, 2009
Famous Famiglia announces the opening of its latest New York City location at 668 Sixth Avenue (corner of 21st Street).
October 12, 2009
The Kolaj Family, founders of Famous Famiglia, are set to march as the NYPD Grand Marshalls at the 65th Annual Columbus Day Parade to be held on Monday, October 12th, 2009 in New York City.
August 31, 2009
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the cinema industry with partner National Amusements at the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at the Showcase Cinema Legacy Place in Dedham, Massachussetts.
August 27, 2009
The Restaurant Chains 2009 List of Category Winners names Famous Famiglia as the winner for the pizza segment. Winners are chosen by total percetage of growth.
August 25, 2009
Famous Famiglia is selected by The World Franchising Network as one of their
Top 100 Franchises for 2009.
Please visit www.100topfranchises.com/companies/famous-famiglia.html
for more information.
Click to view press release.
August 24, 2009
Famous Famiglia co-founder, Giorgio Kolaj, is set to be a panelist at a New York City Economic Development networking event featuring industry champions who will discuss the benefits of franchising.
Please click here for more information.
August 6, 2009
Famous Famiglia celebrates its 23rd Anniversary! The Kolaj brothers opened the first Famous Famiglia in 1986 in the Upper West Side of New York City. Twenty-three years later, Famous Famiglia currently operates wordwide and has earned several leading industry awards that herald its unsurpassed product quality and unparalleled customer service.
July 24, 2009
Famous Famiglia announces its latest opening at Newark Liberty International Airport -Terminal C2. This opening marks the fifty-third Famous Famiglia unit opened in the New York metro area and the third at Newark Liberty International Airport.
July 14, 2009
Restaurants & Institutions Magazine names Famous Famiglia to the 45th Annual Ranking of the Top 400 Restaurant Chains in the U.S. for the third consecutive year.
July 10, 2009
Famous Famiglia co-founder Giorgio Kolaj appears on Fox Business Channel’s LIVE weekly TV program, “Your Questions, Your Money.” Giorgio discussed the history and global growth of the Famous Famiglia brand that he and his brothers founded twenty three years ago. Click here to watch.
July 9, 2009
Famous Famiglia is selected as a finalist in the Human Resources and Leadership Best Practice category for the New York Enterprise Report Awards. The winners will be recognized for their best practices in customer service, green business, human resources and leadership, sales and marketing, and technology.
June 29, 2009
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the airport market with the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at John F. Kennedy International Airport - Terminal 5 (JetBlue Terminal) in New York City.
May 18, 2009
Famous Famiglia Co-Founder, Giorgio Kolaj, is listed as a finalist in the National Restaurant Association's 2009 Faces of Diversity Program - American Dream Award. The annual Faces of Diversity Awards recognizes those who have realized the American Dream through hard work and determination in the restaurant industry. Please visit the finalists.
May 12, 2009
Famous Famiglia is ranked 2nd on Restaurant Chain’s Top 20 List of Fastest Growing Concepts for May 2009. Chains are ranked by total percentage of growth.
April 2, 2009
Famous Famiglia announces the opening of six new units throughout the new Yankee's Stadium. Famous Famiglia has been the “Official Pizza of the New York Yankees" since 2003 and is proud to continue with the partnership in the new stadium.
March 23, 2009
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the airport market with partner HMSHost in the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at Orlando International Airport - Terminal A.
March 12, 2009
Famous Famiglia announces the opening of its latest location in Harlem, NYC, at Lexington Avenue and the corner of 125th Street . This opening marks the 30th Famous Famiglia location in New York!
Click to view press release.
March 9, 2009
Click to view press release.
February 27, 2009
Famous Famiglia is selected by the World Franchising Network and the National Minority Franchising Initiative as one of the Top 25 Franchises for Hispanics due to their commitment to the recruitment and advancement of minorities within the company.
Click to view press release.
February 24, 2009
Famous Famiglia is ranked 2nd on Restaurant Chain’s Top 20 List of Fastest Growing Concepts. Chains are ranked by total percentage of growth.
February 20, 2009
Famous Famiglia is listed in Franchising World Magazine as one of the Top 100 Business Opportunities of 2009. The global pizza brand is set to enter India and is planning expansion through the franchise route.
January 26, 2009
Famous Famiglia continues its growth in the university market with its latest opening at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. With more than 15,000 students in attendance, the honors university sits on a site of 500 acres, and is 15 minutes from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Serviced by the University’s food contractor Chartwell’s Dining Services, the new unit is located in the University Commons Market Street food court.
Click to view press release.
December 30, 2008
Famous Famiglia co-founder, John Kolaj, appears on CW11's morning news segment "Totally Tamsen". Reporter Tamsen Fadal and a group of children learned how to master the art of pizza making from John at a local Famous Famiglia pizzeria.
Please visit Totally Tamsen
December 22, 2008
Famous Famiglia to be honored by Junior Achievement of the Hudson Valley at the annual Spirit of Achievement Awards Dinner in March 2009. Junior Achievement recognizes businesses and individuals who make a difference in the Westchester community. Junior Achievement honors organizations who have achieved business excellence, and are known to inspire leadership, community involvement, and a positive influence on future generations.
November 26, 2008
Famous Famiglia co-founder, John Kolaj, appears on NBC's The TODAY Show with the World Pizza Champions. John and the famous tossers attempted to teach TODAY's Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford to toss pizza as part of their surprise segment "Who's Talking Today."
Please visit today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/27926523#27926523
November 12, 2008
Famous Famiglia ranks 41st in Pizza Today's Top 100 Pizza Companies. The company's rank climbed up seven positions compared to last year’s list, placing Famous Famiglia amongst the Top 50 pizza companies in the United States for the second year in a row.
November 10, 2008
Famous Famiglia co-founder, Giorgio Kolaj, is scheduled to speak at the Franchise India 2008 International Franchise Show in New Delhi, India in November 29 – 30. The show welcomed more than 23,000 attendees last year.
www.franchiseindia.com/newsletter/fi2008/12nov08/
November 3, 2008
Famous Famiglia is nominated for three ARN 2009 Awards: Food Operator with Highest Regard for Customer Service, Best Food & Beverage Brand Operator, and Best Overall Food & Beverage Operator. Since 2001, Famous Famiglia has earned twelve First Place ARN awards, an accomplishment unmatched in the industry.
October 15, 2008
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the airport market with partner HMSHost in the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at the Providence T.F. Green International Airport.
October 13, 2008
Famous Famiglia co-founders discuss the art of pizza tossing on television’s CW11's morning news program. The brothers tossed pizza dough and discussed the techniques that have made Famous Famiglia the popular global brand it is today. Please visit www.wpix.com/video/
October 12, 2008
World Champion competitive eater, Joey Chestnut, claims the world title for pizza at the first Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship! The 24 year old, California native devoured 45 slices of Famous Famiglia pizza in just 10 minutes, setting a new world record. Please visit
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2008/10/13/vo.ny.pizza.eating.wabc
Click to view press release.
October 1, 2008
Famous Famiglia is named by Franchise Times magazine to the “Up & Comers Top 100 Companies on the Verge” ranking. This category links those U.S. franchises that show tremendous promise for opportunity and growth into the future.
September 23, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its latest opening at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Westchester Division. The pizzeria is located on the hospital's extensive campus in White Plains, New York and serves hospital employees, guests, and patients. Famous Famiglia also serves at the hospital’s sister locations, New York Presbyterian Hospital – Cornell Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital – Columbia Medical Center.
September 17, 2008
Famous Famiglia co-founder Giorgio Kolaj appears on CNBC's television program The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. The television host discussed with Giorgio the challenges he and his brothers faced while launching their successful business - which has now grown into a powerful global brand. Please visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k9KKn4ZVpU
September 11, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces that it will host the world’s first World Pizza Eating Championship on Sunday, October 12th, 2008 at 10am in the heart of New York City at Times Square! Internationally recognized competitive eaters of Major League Eating and the International Federation of Competitive Eating circuit will compete to claim the title as “World Pizza Eating Champion”! The total prize purse is $14,000. All proceeds will benefit the Continental Airlines Scholarship Fund.
For more information about the event and to register to compete, please visit
www.majorleagueeating.com/index.php.
Click to view press release.
September 9, 2008
Famous Famiglia gets listed in the PMQ 200 – America’s Top Pizza Chains 2008. The rapid growth of the brand has catapulted Famous Famiglia to the 40th slot of the top 200. The chains are ranked by total number of units.
August 8, 2008
Watch the LIVE television interview with members of the Famous Famiglia founding family tonight at 7pm ET on Fox Network’s Fox Business Channel. Award-winning host David Asman will interview the brothers on the segment “America’s Nightly Scoreboard” and discuss the history and global growth of the Famous Famiglia brand. Click here to watch the interview.
August 8, 2008
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the cinema industry with partner National Amusements at the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at the Showcase Cinema de Lux Patriot Place in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
July 2, 2008
Restaurants and Institutions names Famous Famiglia to Top 400 Restaurant Chains in the U.S.
June 25, 2008
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the cinema industry with partner National Amusements in the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at the Florence Cinema De Lux theater in Florence, Kentucky.
June 9, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces the debut of its latest design and concept extension of the Newark Liberty International Airport – Terminal C3 location, called the Famiglia Market.
Click to view press release.
June 4, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its partnership with the international cinema theater leader National Amusements in a partnership that will provide "New York's Favorite Pizza" to cinema customers across the United States.
Click to view press release.
June 3, 2008
Famous Famiglia is named as a finalist in the National Restaurant Association’s 2008 Faces of Diversity Awards Program - Inspiration Award. Working to further diversity and inclusion in the restaurant industry, Famous Famiglia was recognized as one of six finalists, including McDonald's, Sodexo, Focus Brands, & Auntie Anne's Pretzels.
Click to view article.
May 23, 2008
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the travel plaza market with partner HMSHost in the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at the North Somerset Travel Plaza along the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Click to view press release.
May 18, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its second opening along the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Allentown Travel Plaza with HMSHost.
May 16, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its entry along the Pennsylvania Turnpike with its latest opening at the newly designed Sideling Hill Travel Plaza. This marks the first opening of several Pennsylvania Turnpike rest areas with partner HMSHost.
May 7, 2008
Famous Famiglia extends its partnership with the New York Yankees organization through the 2015 season. Famous Famiglia has been the “Official Pizza of the New York Yankees" since 2003 and is proud to continue this very coveted affiliation and partnership.
Click to view press release.
May 7, 2008
The Westchester Business Council names Famous Famiglia co-founder, Giorgio Kolaj, to 40 Under 40 list. The award honors an individual’s professional accomplishments, leadership qualities and outstanding success.
April 7, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its entry into the Pan-Latin market with its latest opening at the newly designed terminal at Miami International Airport. Spanish-based Areas SpA will operate the Famous Famiglia restaurant.
Click to view press release.
March 25, 2008
Famous Famiglia opens latest airport location at the busy new terminal building at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. UK-based Select Service Partner Ltd. will operate the franchised unit.
Click to view press release.
March 25, 2008
Famous Famiglia continues its expansion in the travel plaza market with partners HMSHost in the opening of the latest Famous Famiglia location at the New Baltimore Plaza along the New York State Thruway. Other motorway locations are scheduled to open soon in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania motorways.
Click to view press release.
March 24, 2008
Famous Famiglia is America’s busiest pizzeria!
Click to view press release.
March 17, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its latest airport opening with franchisee partner HMS Host at Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. This opening marks the brand’s entry into the state and further fuels its expansion momentum with HMS Host.
Click to view press release.
March 7, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces the expansion with partners HMS Host, in the opening of their first Famous Famiglia motorway location at the Pattersonville Plaza along the New York State Thruway. This opening marks the fourth Famous Famiglia opened with HMS Host in recent months. Other motorway locations are scheduled to open soon in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania motorways.
Click to view press release.
March 1, 2008
Famous Famiglia announces its latest opening with franchisee partner HMSHost at Port Columbus International Airport.
February 27, 2008
Famous Famiglia awarded first place honors by Airport Revenue News for 2008 Best Concessions Winner - Food Operator with Highest Regard for Customer Service. This award marks the twelfth ARN First Place honors earned by Famous Famiglia since entering the airport market in November of 2001.
Click to view press release.
February 25, 2008
Giorgio Kolaj joins as a member of the Board of the Queens Council of the Greater NYC Boy Scouts of America. The Queens Council is the largest in NYC, with nearly 5,000 youth participating in more than 250 units led by almost 2,000 adult volunteers.
February 8, 2008
As seen on T.V.! ABC's hit daytime morning TV show, The View, features Famous Famiglia on-location on their show today in the heart of New York City. In the television segment, co-host and comedian Sherri Shepherd visits Famous Famiglia and tests her pizza making skills.
January 23, 2008
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The Kolaj family, founders of Famous Famiglia, to be honored by the National Italian American Foundation at the upcoming NIAF East Coast Gala in April 2008 in New York City, in the heart of Times Square.
Click to view press release.