John’s Wildwood Pizzeria, a favorite destination for thousands of EUP students and residents of Erie County, as well as scores of perennially returning alumni marks its 30 year anniversary this April with several specials and in-store promotions.

Owner John Bellucci, 50, began his pizza-making odyssey in 1979 originally as a delivery man before purchasing the shop from the original New Jersey based proprietors and revitalizing the menu, recipes and business plan.

“My family had already owned a successful pizza shop in Erie for 8 years and I had my own ideas about how to make a pizza shop successful in Edinboro,” says Bellucci. “The Jersey guys had a pretty good thing going, but I knew we could do better.”

The shop moved to 105 Erie Street in 1987, expanding and adding menu items like hot wings and fries. A website was added in 2006 and the sizable online community ranges from locals to transported Erie & Edinboro natives now living in other parts of the world who still actively crave the hot cheesy treat and frequently inquire about overnight pizza express service. “We get those kinds of emails almost every month. There’s always someone asking if we can freeze a pie and send it to Hawaii or Arizona.” Bellucci has not yet found a feasible option for doing so. “It’s about maintaining the quality of the pie. Having it here as it comes out of our ovens is obviously when it’s at its best.”

In an effort to “do something fun and special” for loyal customers, John’s is launching their 30 year anniversary with a two day “1979 Price Rollback” on March 30 and 31, offering large cheese pizzas for their 1979 price, $5.05 “We’re a little nervous about a potential mad 2-day rush,” jokes Bellucci, “But that’s the whole idea, to turn the clocks back 30 years and bring back some nostalgia for the early days of the pizza shop. We’ll just have to keep up as best we can!”

When asked about his favorite memories of 30 years in the pizza business, Bellucci talks about the generational customers. “You see people who were coming in when they were in college, and now they’re coming in with their kids and some of their kids are coming in with THEIR children. That gives me some perspective and makes me smile.”

Bellucci has watched many pizza and subs restaurants come and go often during the 30 years his shop has been in business, including Domino’s, Little Caesars and Quiznos, 3 establishments that have been successful in other towns. He attributes the longevity of his shop to maintaining consistent quality while keeping costs down. “We have always used more expensive ingredients than other places,” says Bellucci, “Our vendors are always offering me cheaper cheese, cheaper pepperoni. But we’ve stayed with what works best for the recipes, and I think that’s what has kept people coming back, year after year.”