From the start, Ah-Beetz wasn’t designed to be just another local pizzeria. Founder Nicholas Laudano, born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, and a 40-year industry veteran, built the concept with national expansion in mind. By Tamara Rahoumi
From the start, Ah-Beetz wasn’t designed to be just another local pizzeria. Founder Nicholas Laudano, born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, and a 40-year industry veteran, built the concept with national expansion in mind.
“It was really developed and designed to be a franchise company,” he said. “It wasn’t about opening one store, two stores, three stores. It was about being able to bring New Haven pizza across the country.”
That vision shaped every decision behind Ah-Beetz’s franchise system. Early on, Laudano invested in a full corporate structure, a formal board and advisory board, experienced franchise attorneys and detailed processes covering construction, training and operations.
“We surrounded ourselves with true restaurant finance and development professionals,” Laudano said, noting board members who have led or developed hundreds of units across concepts like Sbarro, Tijuana Flats and Subway.
Consistency was another priority, especially given the scrutiny of the pizza category. Rather than rely on the variability of traditional coal-fired ovens, Ah-Beetz engineered a proprietary high-heat stone deck Italian conveyor oven that replicates the heat and char of New Haven pizza with far more consistency. The system protects product integrity while allowing scalable operations.
Through everything, the heart of the brand is still its roots. Laudano emphasized that Ah-Beetz doesn’t offer “New Haven-style” pizza; It offers authentic New Haven pizza, full stop.
“This isn’t about being a guy in Ohio trying to copy a style of pizza,” he explained. “I’m from Worcester Street. My pizza was born and raised in New Haven and has been made in New Haven for 35 years. We bring New Haven pizza to Ohio. We bring New Haven pizza to Texas.”
To carry that mission forward, Ah-Beetz looks for experienced operators prepared to develop multiple units and commit for the long term. Franchisees sign on for a minimum of four stores over three years and are expected to bring either foodservice experience or the infrastructure to hire strong operators.
With master development agreements in place in markets like California and Massachusetts, and one Georgia location open with a second underway, Ah-Beetz is moving steadily toward its goal of becoming a household name powered by a system built for scale and a product born of one of America’s most storied pizza traditions.
Tamara Rahoumi