Our Story

Patricia and Anthony “Tony” Martinez moved to Delano, California in 1973. Patricia worked as a surgical technician, and Tony was the general manager at Thrifty Drug Store. When the pizza parlor next to Thrifty’s closed in 1978, they saw an opportunity to bring it back to life — but first, they needed the perfect recipe. To learn authentic New York–style pizza, they turned to their Italian friends, Danny and Lucy Ditri, from Mountain View, California. Danny and Lucy owned their own restaurant and were known for their signature family pizza recipe. They personally trained Tony and Patricia, teaching them the techniques and flavors behind their traditional New York–style pizza. After adding their own personal touch to the recipe, Tony and Patricia opened the first Tony’s Pizza in 1979. What started as a single family‑run shop has grown into 3 stores and is, now carried on by their children through multiple locations across Tulare County.