Fromleft, YNot Pizza owners Tony and Harry DiSilvestro. Photo by Paul Chin, Jr.
By Al Moore
After 17 years in the pizza business, YNot Pizza owners and brothers Tony and Harry DiSilvestro are ready to take the next step.
“After a lot of experience operating the business and researching different options, franchising appears to be the way to expand,” Tony says.
Their first location was opened in 1993 at the Great Neck Square location. Since then, they have opened locations in Ghent and Kempsville.
Although this isn’t exactly what they had originally envisioned for the company, “it has emerged as the most effective way for (them) to expand and maintain (their) culture,” according to the DiSilvestros.
What sets this pizza place apart from the rest is its strong presence as a family-owned, neighborhood business.
“(This) has resulted in a great deal of success over an extended period of time,” says Tony. “That culture is embedded in the business and is visible every day. Commitment to maintaining the culture is extraordinarily strong.”
With three locations (two in Virginia Beach and one in Norfolk), the brothers have already made themselves known in the community.
The next step for the brothers is finalizing the legal documentation and working out the details on the first restaurant.
A candidate franchisee is already identified for the next store.
Their vision is one of gradual expansion, selling only to franchisees that are totally committed to maintaining the culture of customer service excellence.
The plans do not include becoming a high-volume franchisor, however, the geographic reach is intended to be limited to the Hampton Roads region.
According to the YNot website, the DiSilvestro family has one simple wish for all of its guests: “May you have an enjoyable time at our humble table, never leave it hungry and visit us again and again.”
