Peoria Restaurant
© 2022 Agatucci’s Restaurant, Inc.
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ONE FAMILY • ONE LOCATION • SINCE 1926
A BRIEF HISTORY Our Great-Grandfather Vincenzo (James) Agatucci immigrated to the United States from Calascio (AQ) Italy in 1904 with a dream. After many years of hard work on the coal mining circuit between Pennsylvania and Central Illinois, James moved to Peoria along with his wife Teresa and their seven children to open a small “mom and pop” grocery store on Second Street in the early 1920’s. In 1926, he took a chance and purchased our current building on a dirt road which to our knowledge was the furthest point North in the City of Peoria. During the early days of the Great Depression, he turned his beloved grocery store into a family run restaurant to better serve the community. Following the end of prohibition in 1933, he purchased liquor license #13 which became very lucky for our family as we now possess the oldest continually owned liquor license in Peoria. Another daughter joined the family and soon thereafter Great-Grandfather Jim retired in 1948. He passed the business to his sons Frank and Nick who introduced pizza to the Peoria area in order to satisfy the craving of soldiers returning from war service in Italy. Following a successful venture into the frozen pizza and spaghetti sauce market by brothers Jim and Jerry in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s, they took over the restaurant when their father Frank “officially” retired in 1979. Many claim that Jim and Jerry operated the restaurant in perfect ying and yang harmony! In 1988, they expanded the restaurant to include the “new room” for greater seating capacity. As we enter our 10th decade of operations, we look foward to serving you with the principles that we have learned through the years: 1.) Take pride and work to offer a high quality and consistent product at a fair price and 2.) Flour is much easier to handle than coal dust! We sincerely thank you for your continued support. You are the reason our history endures. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your visits with us more enjoyable. ~Danny and Tony Agatucci
Tony Agatucci, Jay Leno & Danny Agatucci
Jay Leno tries Peoria Pizza
Jay Leno comments on Agatucci's Pizza
Jay’s Verdict Best Pizza !
Rocca Calascio, brings to Peoria Pizza
Rocca Calascio castle ruins
Home to Peoria's best pizza place owners
Agatucci’s hometown of Calascio
Click a thumbnail to enlarge
Thinking: We should bring Pizza to Peoria
Grandpa Frank & Uncle Nick 1947
Thinking about Pizza Peoria
Grandpa Frank & Grandma Anne 1970
Making Peoria Pizza
Grandpa Frank & Grandma Anne 1980
Agatucci's before there was Pizza in Peoria
Original restaurant building circa 1948
Agatucci's hottest bar and Peoria's favorite Pizza place
Grandpa Frank (behind bar) & Grandma Anne circa 1955
Calascio to Peoria Pizza places
Looking down at Calascio from above
Agatucci's ready to serve Peoria Pizza again
Agatucci’s Reconstruction of ‘57
Frank Agatucci behind Peoria's favorite Pizza Bar
Grandpa Frank circa 1956
Jerry Agatucci making Peoria's favorite pizza pies
Jerry Agatucci 1955
Jerry Agatucci behind Peoria's favorite Bar
Jerry Agatucci circa 1976
Jim Agatucci behind Agatucci's Pizza bar
Jim Agatucci circa 1976
Peoria's favorite Pizza Place
Restaurant outside circa 1945
Pizza Parlor Peoria, IL
Inside Restaurant circa 1949
Great Grandfather Vincenzo Jim Agatucci
Great Grandpa Vincenzo (Jim) -->
James Agatucci Sails Article Journal Star Peoria, IL 1953
1953 PJStar Article about Great Grandpa
Great Uncle Joe Agatucci dreaming of Peoria Pizza
Great Uncle Joe circa 1980
Jim & Jerry Agatucci making Peoria's best pizza.
Jim & Jerry Agatucci circa 2000
Sophia Agatucci and Mike Miller proud of Agatucci's Peoria Pizza
Sophia Agatucci and cousin Mike (Miller) 1985
Peoria Pizza Parties at Agatucci's
Birthday fun with George Jacob, Jerry Agatucci, and Dan Vonachen. 1992
Agatucci's Backwards Clock
Counter-Clockwise Agatucci’s Clock
Hamm's Beer Sign behind Agatucci's Bar
Antique Hamm’s Beer Sign
Tony, Jim & Danny Agatucci
Tony, Jim, & Danny Agatucci Saturday, July 13, 2013
email: info@agatuccis.com