Graphic by Neshama Ryman
Pinocchio’s Pizza, located in the heart of Harvard Square on Winthrop Street, is considered a Harvard tradition to many. Famous for its Sicilian-style square slices, Pinocchio’s is typically packed with students, either grabbing a quick bite in between classes or a late-night meal after partying.
Established in 1966, Pinocchio’s has lived through the Read Block redevelopment and gentrification that killed its 80-year-old neighbors: the Wursthaus in 1996 and the Tasty in 1997, both Harvard Square staples replaced by chain stores. The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected small businesses; Pinocchio’s responded by scaling back employees’ hours but kept most of its business thanks to its takeout model.
“Ever since COVID, things have gotten much, much more expensive, and unfortunately, we have to raise the prices a little,” owner Adam DiCenso explained in an interview with the “Harvard Independent.” “Every three to six months, we kind of sit down and look at the numbers and try to figure out, should we go up a little bit? Should we stay?”
DiCenso’s family purchased Pinocchio’s in 1983, only 17 years after its founding, while he was still in high school. He worked part time throughout high school and college, and in 1992 he joined full time.
The original owner, Luciano, opened the shop in 1966. “He actually opened another shop out in Western Massachusetts … so for several years, he was running both,” DiCenso recalled. “I guess at some point in the early 80s, he had decided he wanted to just focus on [the Western Massachusetts shop] and sell [the Cambridge] one. So that’s when my father and my uncle came in and bought this place from him.”