Sam’s Pizza: Generational ownership, enjoyment

Matthew Day

Staff

October 12, 2026

WAUSAU/SCHOFIELD – For most, 68 years in the restaurant industry could only be considered a (pizza) pie-in-the-sky fantasy. 

Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the University of California, Berkeley, 17-20% of restaurants close in their first year; only 50% will last five years; and just one-third will surpass a decade of operation. 

Meanwhile, Sam’s Pizza hasn’t simply survived since 1958 – it continues to draw enthusiasm, once again being voted the area’s best pizza option in this year’s Best of Marathon County Community’s Choice Awards. 

Jodi LaCalamita – who owns and operates Sam’s with her husband, Vince LaCalamita – said she believes this is the 32nd time the restaurant has earned the distinction. 

No matter how many times it’s happened, Jodi said “it’s always really great to win an award like that.” 

“It feels cool to be in the community for so long, and [to have] people still supporting us and [being] able to win an award when there are a lot of different options out there,” she said. 

Jodi said whenever she and Vince contemplate the enduring appreciation for Sam’s, beyond the pizza itself, their best guess is “it comes down to family atmosphere.” 

“People know us for pizza, and that’s the reason why they come – for that generational feeling,” she said. “My parents came here, my kids, my grandkids, all of that. That’s why we call it a family tradition – that’s our tagline.” 

A slice of history 

Per its website (samspizzaofwausau.com), Sam’s Pizza was founded by Tony and Mary Perrella on Wausau’s west side. 

The Perrellas moved the restaurant to 111 Elm St. in 1968, the same building where the Wausau location of Sam’s still exists today. 

When Tony passed away in 1982, Mary sold Sam’s to a man who’d been one of its most dedicated employees – John Huber – and his wife, Lynn. 

Jodi said John, her father, began working at Sam’s when he was 15 or 16, adding it would be Lynn and John who eventually decided to expand Sam’s. 

“We have our Elm Street location in Wausau; that one is just like a little diner-type thing, because back in those days, people didn’t really go out for dinner – not like they do today,” she said. “We have 12 blue side tables, and that’s it.” 

In 1992, Jodi said Lynn and John opened a second Sam’s in Schofield, at 5811 Business Highway 51 South. 

“My parents were thinking, ‘This area is growing; we need to provide something in this area to Weston, Rothschild, Schofield,’” she said. “And they made it on a much, much larger scale. We have three dining areas. We have a game room for the kids. We can seat many more people there than our original location.” 

Jodi said she and Vince have worked at Sam’s since the early ’90s. 

About 10 years ago, she said, the couple purchased the business – both locations – from her parents when they retired. 

Since opening in Schofield, Jodi said customers “still love” the original Sam’s in Wausau. 

When that location’s dining area is full, she said customers simply have to drive about 10 minutes to the “new,” 34-year-old location. 

Both restaurants, she said, have a “homey, cozy” feel. 

“When you walk in the door, our pizza makers are right there, so there’s always somebody there to greet you,” she said. “You can see the pizzas being made.” 

Thin crust, square-cut, local toppings 

Customers at either location, Jodi said, can expect the same high-quality pies Sam’s has always served. 

“We’ve stayed true to our roots, and we serve thin crust pizza,” she said. “We haven’t changed the recipe.” 

Vince, whose family is from New York City, said pizza preferences vary regionally, and in the Wausau area, an appreciation has developed for thin crust pizza, cut into squares – traits which can baffle those with East Coast sensibilities. 

At Sam’s, though, Jodi said customers rely upon the crust and cut. 

“Honestly, I think the pizza tastes different when you have it in a triangle, versus our little squares,” she said. 

In addition to the crispy crust and pub-style cut, Jodi and Vince said the sauce and toppings are what keep customers coming back. 

The topping with the most popularity, they said, is the sausage – sourced from nearby Townline Market and mixed with a house blend of spices. 

Vince said Sam’s always tries to source the most local of ingredients. 

The restaurant has outlived many of its suppliers through the years, he said, making it a challenge at times to source ingredients that live up to the standards he, Jodi, John, Lynn and, most importantly, the customers expect from a Sam’s pizza. 

Jodi said a key to the restaurant’s consistency has been the decision to keep the menu focused on pizza, as opposed to adding sandwiches, pastas, etc. 

Expanding topping selections (e.g., banana peppers, jalapeño peppers, pineapple) or sauces (ranch, as a red sauce replacement or for dipping) has been one way she said Sam’s can stay fresh while maintaining its legacy. 

“We don’t go crazy and do, I don’t know, buffalo chicken or anything like that,” she said. “I think people just like a traditional type of thin crust pizza.” 

No resting on laurels 

Jodi said while the restaurant’s longevity and track record give it credibility among locals and visitors, Vince said it’s a delicate task to uphold the tradition Sam’s has become for its customers. 

“We have a huge customer base that has been eating our pizzas for decades,” he said. “We have grandkids and great-grandkids [of customers] who have been eating our pizza.” 

Whether it’s the steady stream of customers and takeout orders at Sam’s or the restaurant’s record of consistently winning awards, Vince said he takes nothing about the sustained success for granted. 

“We have that base and reliability from our customers who know our flavor, and we have that trust with them,” he said, “but it’s also tremendous pressure.” 

Although the restaurant industry has changed a great deal in the 10 years since he and Jodi purchased Sam’s, Vince said Lynn and John are still helpful when it comes to the restaurant’s standards. 

“Every now and then I’ll ask my father-in-law and my mother-in-law, too – they’ve been eating [Sam’s Pizza] obviously since the early ’60s – ‘So, what do you think?’” he said. “[And they’ll say], ‘Ah, nothing’s changed – you’re good.’ They’re a great resource to have.” 

Vince said he likens the sense of pressure to produce at a high level to that of a sports dynasty. 

“You never want to not win a championship, right?” he said. “So, that pressure builds every year – every single year.” 

However, Jodi said the stress of the standards is put somewhat at ease by the comforting, communal nature of the cuisine and atmosphere. 

“Pizza restaurants – I think they’re just fun,” she said. “And that’s why grandparents bring their grandkids, [for example], because they can just sit around the table and eat the pizza together and have good conversation.” 

‘Doing what we do best’ 

Despite regular requests for Sam’s to add other locations, Vince said he and Jodi have no plans to further expand. 

“No, we’re just trying to maintain and keep doing what we do best, and that’s thin crust pizza,” he said. 

Jodi said much of the charm of Sam’s is tied to its regionality. 

“People who are from the area but they moved away, they’ll come back, visiting, and they always have to come to Sam’s,” she said. “People travel from Plover, Wisconsin Rapids, Merrill, etc., to come to get our pizza.” 

One area where the business can grow, Vince said, is the frozen pizza category. 

“Sam’s Pizza has been making and packaging frozen pizzas forever, since the ’80s, and we ship our frozen pizzas all across the country: Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Washington state, all over,” he said. 

The COVID-19 shutdowns of 2020, Vince said, accelerated the plans to expand its frozen pizza production. 

“It grew into a stable, consistent part of our business,” he said. “It’s a mainstay now. They sell really well in the grocery stores. It’s not overtaking our dining business or our takeout business at all. It just added another piece to who we are.” 

The Schofield location is closed on Mondays, Vince said, as staff devotes that day entirely to processing wholesale pizzas. 

“Every wholesale pizza is handmade by our crew,” he said. “It’s very labor intensive, but we’ve got it down to a science. It’s like an assembly line that we have on Mondays.” 

Jodi and Vince said the entire Sam’s team is a tremendous asset to all aspects of the operations. 

“We’ve got a good core group, and they’re fantastic,” Vince said. “Couldn’t do without them.” 

The LaCalamitas said Sam’s not only serves generations of customers, it also employs generations of staff. 

“That’s part of what makes Sam’s the entity it is,” Vince said. “It’s not just coming in for a good pizza. People like the familiar faces. We get to know them and their kids. And the employees, we have what I call ‘alumni workers’ – people where I’ve worked with their dads and I’ve worked with their moms.” 

Vince and Jodi said their own daughter and son-in-law are among the current alumni workers, with potential for the young couple to become the restaurant’s next owners. 

Half-jokingly, Vince said his only other hope for Sam’s is for its production to be purchased by a large investor, as was the case for another North Central operation, Tombstone Pizza in Medford. 

“When I started [ramping up our frozen pizza production], that’s all I heard – ‘Oh, you guys are selling out now,’” he laughed. “[I’d say], ‘Sure, yeah, when are they coming? Sure, give them my address – come on in.’” 

More sincerely, Jodi said Sam’s Pizza will always focus on rewarding the loyalty of its long-term guests while welcoming newcomers – even if the latter are confused by the square pieces or another of the restaurant’s quirks, the paper bags it uses for takeout orders (with pizza boxes available on request). 

“We don’t take our loyal customers for granted, of course, because there are a lot of other places they can go to,” she said. “We are always doing our best to make sure our product is consistent. It’s our mission: consistent product and a great dining experience.” 

Visit samspizzaofwausau.com for more information, restaurant hours and a directory of stores where the frozen pizzas are sold.