Mid-afternoon on a Tuesday may not be the most popular time to get pizza, but the customers of Overbrook Pizza on North 63rd Street did not seem to notice.
A small set of stairs led them into a small sitting area with a lone bench. Overbrook Pizza customers tend to prefer take-out pizza and cheesesteaks anyway. They packed the small waiting area, greeting owner Jimmy Lambritsios, who juggled conversations about Monday night football, skipping classes and slippery roads while preparing food.
“When you’re here for so many years, you get to have a nice relationship with the customers,” Lambritsios said. “You get to know them. When they come in, they talk to you. It builds up their confidence to come back. They’re going to go to places where they feel comfortable to eat.”
Lambritsios’ 92-year-old father opened Overbrook Pizza 40 years ago after emigrating from Greece. Lambritsios was 8 years old when he came to the U.S. He learned to make pizza from his father. From the start, he and his father, mother and brother all worked at the pizza shop. Today, Lambritsios still works alongside his immediate family members, who can be heard from the waiting area talking about orders and coordinating deliveries.
Lambritsios’ customers come from the neighborhood and, when school is in session, include a loyal contingent of St. Joe’s students. Natalia Rodriguez ’20, a regular customer, said she goes to Overbrook Pizza not only because of the convenient location but also because of the service.
“They all know my name,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve ordered so many times that when I call in and order over the phone, they greet me by my name.”
For Lambritsios, whose own children are college-aged, treating St. Joe’s students like family comes naturally.
“My brother’s kids went to St. Joe’s, my son graduated a few years ago, my daughter’s in college,” Lambritsios said, “They’re nice to us. We’re nice to them. We take care of them like they’re our own kids.”
Laura Fuentes Pou ’21 also appreciates the service she receives at Overbrook Pizza and said she notices how much Lambritsios cares for his St. Joe’s customers.
“He remembers my name and says it in Spanish which makes me feel at home,” said Fuentes Pou, who is from Puerto Rico. “And they always take care of us and make us smile when we go in.”
Fuentes Pou said Overbrook Pizza is a welcoming environment because of that strong family bond.
“They all make jokes with each other and they just love and respect each other so much,” Fuentes Pou said. “Going into Overbrook is like going into their family’s home.”
