Northern New Englanders: Papa Gino’s Exists in Connecticut

Hi Massachusetts and New Hampshire transplants, welcome to Connecticut: The Pizza Capital of the World. You still prefer a Papa Gino's pizza over Pepe's, Sally's, Bar, or Modern, right?

When my wife and I travel to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, she always wants to stop and grab a slice from Papa Gino's. Lydia is originally from the Springfield, Massachusetts area, and when we first met in the 90's, there were quite a few Papa Gino's pizza restaurants. Over the decades, most of the locations have shuttered. The Connecticut pizza marketplace is tough, as many, many competitors have found out.

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Now in 2024, there are only two Papa Gino's in all of Connecticut. One is a stand-alone that recently merged with a D'angelo's sub shop at 95 Storrs Road in Willimantic, and the other is located inside the Southwest concourse of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks.

What's the deal with Papa Gino's pizza? Have you ever tried? It's pretty damn good. Dave 'El Presidente' Portnoy did a One-Bite review just last week, and gave the Londonderry, New Hampshire-bought Papa Gino's pie a 7.5 -

Portnoy waxes nostalgic, just like my wife, and makes a great point that I hadn't considered, Papa Gino's is a regional chain restaurant, not a national. The headquarters is in Dedham, Mass, and they operate 79 locations (as of 2023) in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The company has been through some tough times in recent years, including a bankruptcy in 2018 according to wikipedia.com. Let's hope that El Presidente follows through on the hint of someone suggesting he buys the whole thing. Hold on dearly Willimantic.