Leo's Pizzeria flourishes in East Aurora

By Jillian LeBlanc 

Montana Skimin makes a slice
pie for hungry customers at
Leo's Pizzeria in East Aurora
(Photo by Jillian LeBlanc)

Nearly four years ago, Leo’s Pizzeria gambled and opened a new location in East Aurora. In a village packed with restaurants - three of which are pizzerias - Leo’s was faced with tough competition. Despite initial reservations, owner Keith Leo pursued an opportunity and left the confines of South Buffalo to open his third store.

“I didn’t want to do it“ Leo said. “I hung up on the person. I said two stores are enough for me, I’m content, and I make OK money. Yet I kept coming back, and I ended up buying it.”

The first location on Seneca Street in South Buffalo is a tiny 600-square-foot shop which consists of a small takeout counter, with no seating.

The second location, on South Park Avenue in South Buffalo, is about double the size of the first. The store has seating, but it is not a full-service restaurant, meaning it doesn’t have servers, a bar, or even fountain sodas. This location has nine tables, which often cater to a small lunch rush.

The East Aurora location was a risk because this was Leo’s first full-service restaurant, equipped with a dinning room, a bar, and dartboards. With 12 barstools and 15 tables, the dinning room provides a space for small parties or families going out to dinner, as well as casual bar patrons.

“This store almost killed me when I opened it,” Leo said. “No one knows that. The whole bar side was gutted and put back together in six weeks. I was here 20 hours a day. It was bad. I was in the doctor’s every day, because my budget was $150,000, but it cost $325,000. I was stressing out. I didn’t have enough money, but I had to open the doors because it would have buried the other couple restaurants. It was a big deal. Then we end up being super busy, busier than I expected. So then it was even more stressful because I thought we might disappoint people.”

Leo’s initial budget for the East Aurora location was six times larger than sum used to start the first restaurant in 2000. With the help of his grandmother and father, Leo had $25,000 to kick-start his business. After working six years at Nino’s Pizza, Leo borrowed money and opened his own pizzeria at the age of 21, based on the values he learned there.

Leo said he embraced the family atmosphere Nino’s Pizza exhibited, bringing those ideals to his company. He said it makes work more than just a paycheck.

Julia Flanagan agreed.

“I like our people to be like a family, I want them all to cover each other’s backs, help each other out. For the most part I have a really good crew,” said Flanagan, general manager at Leo’s Pizzeria in East Aurora.

It took Leo over two years of nonstop work to establish himself.

“The first two years were very tough; I worked day and night for two years straight,” he said. “I would take deliveries by myself during the day. I would put a note on the door saying ‘back in five minutes.’ I would take it myself. I would be in the place usually by myself during the day, do everything, because I wasn’t that busy.”

His dedication began to pay off. His business got busier, allowing him to take out a loan and open the second location on South Park in 2006.

Filling the vacancy of a former restaurant, Leo’s came into East Aurora challenging the other eateries in town.

“I thrive on being the best, or the best I can possibly be,” he said. “Our food speaks for itself. I’m not the guy to chince out. I’m going to buy the best product I can. I’m not going to go save $5 on an item or 20 cents a pound on a ham or a turkey. We are all about high quality, and I’m pretty confident that our training is pretty good.”

“We’re usually pretty laid back, but when we’re busy, we are busy, and get serious,” Flanagan said.

Leo and Flanagan put in many hours a week ensuring that the company flows smoothly, allowing for proper productivity.

“I now work 75 hours a week; no one knows it because I’m at home a lot working in my office. About 25 hours is spent on paperwork through the week. I’m in my office usually Saturdays and Sundays, even in the summertime,” Leo said.

“I do ordering for food, I take care of the schedule,” Flanagan said. “It is also my responsibility to count money. I send out email coupons and I interview people for potential jobs. It’s my job to make sure that the owner’s job is a little easier.”

“Why I put Nicole McCallum as a general manager a year and a half ago was because the three stores were getting way too hard for me,” Leo said. “I still micromanage everybody. It’s a problem that I have, and I can’t stop. It was getting too hard. I couldn’t do all the bills, all the paperwork. I couldn’t be in here cooking, and I just stopped cooking. I’ve been in business for 16 years; I just stopped cooking a little more than a year ago. I don’t have time. Now we’re opening up our fourth location, and now I really don’t have the time. I’m still building the company.”

The new location on Southwestern Boulevard in Orchard Park will open June 1, but this progression never would have happened if it weren’t for the success at East Aurora.

“East Aurora was my first restaurant, bar location, and I see what it’s capable of,” Leo said. “I saw an opportunity, and it was scary. I never had a bar. I think it was the best thing that could’ve happened to this company. This town has been nothing but great to me, and the company.”

Leo built his company from the ground up, starting with little money, but quickly expanding his brand across Buffalo. With the assistance of McCallum, Flanagan and 100 other employees, he is able to successfully run three different restaurants, satisfying hungry patrons around Buffalo.

email: j.omerine@gmail.com