Pizzaiolo Primo Opens Largest Location in Murrysville With Handmade Pastas

Pizzaiolo Primo opened its doors today at 4869 William Penn Highway in Murrysville, taking over the former Atria's space on Route 22 and becoming the Western Pennsylvania restaurant group's largest location yet, with seating for 240 people.

The Murrysville opening is led by Mt. Pleasant native Ron Sofranko, who over the past four decades has owned and developed more than 25 restaurants and opened more than 116 eateries across four states. The new location is his latest addition to the Pizzaiolo Primo brand, which already operates in South Fayette, where it opened in 2023, and in Downtown Pittsburgh's Market Square. That Market Square location had closed during the COVID-19 pandemic before Sofranko Advisory Group purchased and reopened it.

The Murrysville menu follows the Neapolitan-style template the brand has built its reputation on: crispy, airy-crust pizzas, a variety of pastas, antipasti and traditional Italian entrees. Chefs make the cheese, pasta and pizza by hand daily. The kitchen anchoring the new location is a custom wood-fired pizza oven that completed a transatlantic journey from Italy before the restaurant could open.

Specific dishes visible in the restaurant's promotional materials give a sense of what's on offer: cacio e pepe garnished with fresh basil, a burrata-topped pizza with arugula and cherry tomatoes, fried calamari with pepperoncini and dipping sauce, and antipasto platters loaded with cured meats, olives, artichoke hearts and pepperoncini. The pasta program in particular, with handmade production happening every day in-house, is the kind of detail that separates a serious Italian kitchen from a casual chain operation.

The Murrysville location operates Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pick-up and delivery are available, and the restaurant offers private party spaces for groups. For events and private dining inquiries, the restaurant can be reached at eventsales@pizzaioloprimo.com or by phone at (878) 220-7434.