A New York-owned pizzeria is open in Fort Mill — but don’t call it NY-style. Why?

Their love story started over pizza, so it’s only fitting that 20 years later, it’s led them right back to their roots — with a new pizzeria in Fort Mill.

But first, let’s start at the beginning: Ray Cariseo and his future wife Meghan met at a California pizza restaurant in the early 2000s.

Ray owned a popular pizzeria called The Slice, while Meghan managed a family restaurant called The Crocodile Cafe, just across from the Santa Monica Pier.

The New York natives eventually moved back to New York in 2004 to raise a family, and they got out of the restaurant business altogether. Ray owned a manufacturer’s rep firm, and Meghan was a stay-at-home mom. Meghan tried her hand at working in a restaurant while also raising and homeschooling her children, but at the time, it was too stressful.

Another state, another couple of decades — and another pizzeria

Twenty years and five kids later, the Cariseos have re-entered the restaurant business. The couple opened Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen in Fort Mill earlier this month. This time, it’s Meghan who owns the restaurant, while Ray is helping out in the kitchen.

Despite it being her first time owning a pizzeria, it wasn’t the food that gave Meghan the biggest problems.

“For me, the challenge was putting ideas into real life, it’s not easy,” Meghan said. “It was less the food aspect of it and was more creating a restaurant and a feel. You have ideas of what you think would look good, what colors look good and what style looks cool, but really comfort is more important than anything.”

[BIG PAPA'S: Have you been to the new Lake Wylie pizzeria yet?]

A family move to Fort Mill — but something was missing

Ray and Meghan have spent most of their lives in the food industry:

• Ray, a Syracuse, New York native, started learning how to make pizzas as a teenager in Morris County, New Jersey, just outside of Manhattan.

• Meghan, a Rochester, New York native, has been around the restaurant business her entire life, thanks to her maternal relatives owning and running restaurants in Buffalo, New York.

Needing a change of scenery, the family moved from Rochester to Fort Mill in August 2021.

“We wanted to get out of New York state,” Ray said. “And we love the state of South Carolina, so we moved here.”

The couple considered moving to either the Charlotte or Charleston areas. In the end, Fort Mill won out — largely because Charlotte Douglas International Airport offers direct flights back home; Charleston International Airport does not.

However, the couple quickly realized that something was missing.

“It was soon after we moved here that we realized this area needs pizza,” Meghan said. “After hearing from people, and then people would hear our backstory and say, ‘Wait, you owned a pizzeria?’”

Within a month of starting to look for a restaurant location, the couple found the perfect home for Emilio’s.

And after 17 years of homeschooling her kids, Meghan doesn’t have to choose between raising children and restaurant work anymore. “Now my kids are a little older, they help out (in the restaurant),” Meghan said. “Because we can do this together, it’s like part of their growing up. It’s part of their homeschooling, so to me, it’s exciting. The kids like it. They kind of fight over shifts.”

The couple has already has plans to expand Emilio’s. Ray joked that he wants to open up five restaurants in the area, one for each of his kids.

This is *not* ‘New York-style’ pizza

Emilio’s will aim at delivering on the roots where Ray began in the pizza-making business, but if you’d be surprised how he feels about being labeled as such.

“I hate the ‘New York-style pizza’ term — because it’s pizza,” Ray said. “ But certainly, it’s going to be closer to the way they make it in New York.”

Ray also said that Emilio’s will not shy away from adding on other styles of pizza like Detroit-style or Sicilian, but the couple wants to focus on fleshing out what in its wheelhouse before getting too creative.

No delivery option

However, there is one thing that the restaurant will not be experimenting with, and the Cariseos are willing to live with the drawbacks.

“We don’t do delivery or delivery apps,” Ray said. “We like connecting with our customers. The food is better if it’s picked up or eaten here ... and we’re really about quality of the food. I want you to think of us as the best pizza in this area. I don’t think delivery lends itself to great food.”

Emilio’s menu

Emilio’s is currently offering pizza, buffalo wings, and five different types of salad, and Ray has said that the restaurant plans to incorporate pasta, meatball subs and other starters into the menu over the next coming months.

The restaurant also has a bar area with a full bar.

Emilio’s is located on Arden Mill Drive, just across from River Trail Elementary School.

Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen

Location: 5527 Arden Mill Dr #101, Fort Mill, SC 29715

Instagram: @emiliospizzakitchen

Restaurant hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Bar hours: 11 a.m.- last call Monday-Saturday.