Bernatello’s Pizza, a mainstay in Maple Lake since opening its manufacturing plant on Congress Street in 1985, is continuing to grow and has switched its focus to premium pizzas.
The company launched the Bellatoria brand in 2007, which is a more premium product, and added a new customer base.
“There’s a whole new customer out there willing to spend a few more dollars for a more premium product,” said General Manager Jim Cousin.
The company took another step forward in 2012 when Bernatello’s merged with Orv’s Pizza, a Wisconsin competitor to the Bernatello’s brand. This merger came with an entirely new production facility in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, as well as a larger Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system.
The Kaukauna plant had about 100 employees and was running one crust line and one pizza line at about 30 percent capacity. Bernatello’s has since brought its Roma crust to Kaukauna and they now make 8 million crusts a year at the Kaukauna plant and operate at full capacity, with a second crust line having recently been added.
Along with the purchase of Orv’s came Connie’s all-natural pizzas, which have also been popular.
Brew Pub Pizza was launched in 2013 as a super premium brand and its Lotzza Motzza pizzas are popular with over a half-pound of mozzarella cheese on each one.
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