Wilson's Pizza Palace keeps it classically simple: But management says some changes are on the way

Aug. 11—WINDSOR — Since 1966 and through three locations, Wilson's Pizza Palace, on Windsor Avenue, has maintained the same family pizza recipe since it opened.

The original Wilson's, which was a few blocks from its current location, burned down in the mid-1970s, said Sydney Landis, daughter of owner Bobby Landis, and a manager at Wilson's.

The two took over the restaurant from cousins of the Landis family, Peter, Nick, and Gus Karapanos, in 2020, Sydney said.

Wilson's Pizza Palace

Address: 340 Windsor Ave., Windsor.

Hours: Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Menu: Greek-style pizza, wings, salads, more.

Miscellaneous: Cash only.

Contact: 860-522-1966; facebook.com/wilsonpizzapalacect

"My father has run businesses his whole life," she said.

She said her father learned how to run a restaurant from her grandfather.

"He's grown up in restaurants," she said of her father.

The family owns four pizza places altogether, with the other three in Torrington, East Hampton, and Bristol.

After the fire, the Karapanoses moved Wilson's to a nearby plaza where it stayed for several years until the McDonald's that used to occupy their current location became available in 1979, Sydney said.

"They wanted to add a drive-through and the town said no, so the McDonald's moved to Hartford, leaving this place open," she said, "so they took over the building and we've been here ever since."

The restaurant has one foot firmly planted in the past. The dining room furniture is the same McDonald's furniture from the 1970s. In a clever twist, the arched "Ms" that circled the outside wall of Wilson's as part of the old McDonald's décor have been inverted to become "Ws."

Sydney acknowledged the dated aesthetic and business model and said they are in the process of updating both the building and services.

"We are very old fashioned, as old fashioned as they come," Sydney said. "It's a little too old fashioned in my opinion. We still hand write every ticket. We have a type-in register. We still have a calculator. Our menu board is probably from the '80s. We are still cash only. We do have an ATM. Most of our customers are aware that we're cash only. We don't deliver. We're pick-up only."

The first priority has been to update the restaurant's equipment, having replaced its four pizza ovens.

"When we got here three years ago, there were four ovens and one of them didn't work," Sydney said."

The next move, she said, is to add a walk-in cooler that will create more room in the kitchen, she said.

After the necessary kitchen equipment has been tended to, other, more aesthetic and service-related renovations would take place.

"Definitely the dining rooms and the bathrooms are on the top of our list," Sydney said. "Delivery and credit cards are further down the road than I'd like to admit. Those are definitely on the to-do list, but we're a busy place and it doesn't slow down enough to really get the opportunity to do those things. We would like to create more of a dine-in experience. We don't do much dine-in."

The menu features the family's signature Greek, pan-style pizza. Most special requests are met, Sydney said, but noted they do not do thin crust.

"It's a beefy pizza," she said. "All of our produce comes in at least five times a week, so everything's fresh. Everything is made fresh-to-order and requests for the most part are met. It's the same pizza that's been served since the '60s. It's been very consistent, so people know what they're coming for. They order the exact same thing they've ordered since they were younger."

The flavor profile, she said, is definitely on the savory side.

"It's the kind of pizza you don't need to eat the whole thing to get full," she said.

Sydney's favorite pizza on the menu is the Wilson Special.

"It has everything," she said. "I don't even like onions and peppers, but on that pizza everything makes sense together."

Other popular pizzas include sausage and onion, pepperoni, and the buffalo chicken pizza.

"We just added a buffalo chicken pizza as a special," she said. "It has bleu cheese as a sauce instead of the red sauce, and the chicken is tossed in a buffalo sauce."

Other popular dishes include the chef salad and chicken wings.

"Almost every other order is The Chef Salad," Sydney said.

They have two types of chicken wings. "We have breaded wings, which are mild," she said. "For the fresh wings with sauce, we do buffalo, barbecue, garlic parm, and sweet and sour."

She said her favorite wing flavor is garlic parmesan.

Another favorite, she said is Wilson's gyro. "I could have that for lunch every day," she said.

At 20 years old, Sydney said her goal is to take over the family business one day from her dad, who just turned 59.

"I figure hands-on experience was the best way to learn," she said. "I have an older sister and a younger brother and we are all on the same page to carry on with the family. They work at the restaurant in Torrington.

"I hope it continues to be Wilson's Pizza," she said. "People love this place. I couldn't change it even if I wanted to."

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