What is the modern American dream? Does it differ from our forefathers’ ideals when they came to this country? For Alban and Ana Fezollari, the traditional dream lives on in Wayne, as they took on ownership of Main Line Pizza & Catering this January.
Alban, the youngest of three brothers, has worked there for 16 years since immigrating from Albania, but from 1993 through 2024, it was run by Jennifer and Robert Saionz.
When Alban arrived at Philadelphia International Airport in 2008, he spoke just a handful of English words, but his brothers, both of whom had worked at the pizza shop, got him a job there.
“The main thing that my brothers told me, was, ‘Go work for Robert because he treats you like part of the family,'” Alban says. “That’s why everybody works here for such a long time. Nobody wants to leave because Robert’s not a superior; we’re a team.”
In between feeding hungry lunch-goers, families and businesses for over three decades, the Saionzes have employed nearly the entire Fezollari family. In 2000, they brought in the first of three brothers, Freddi, who worked in Wayne for three months before moving to Detroit. Six months later, Alban’s twin brother Goni came to America and worked there for a decade, helping to welcome Alban himself in 2008.
“Alban got off the plane, out of the airport and came straight here,” says Jennifer. “And all he knew how to say was ‘hello, hi!'”
The thing Robert impressed on Alban most was learning “pizza English” first, meaning the language of a pizza shop. Alban learned the menu and the sales system, and every time he didn’t know a word he’d give Robert a call.
In the ensuing years, Robert, Jennifer and Goni helped integrate Alban into American society, training him on the ins and outs of running a busy pizza shop. Additionally, they helped bring Alban’s wife, Ana, over from Europe.
Alban took to the business as a natural. He learned the point-of-sale system better than either Robert or Jennifer and became efficient in the kitchen, sticking to the secret ingredients and recipes that Robert and Jennifer first developed when they bought the business from TNT Pizza in the ’90s.
It’s through the kindness in their hearts and the outreach to people like the Fezollaris that the Saionzes have bought themselves a lifetime of goodwill in the local community.
“When I went to vote for the presidency, I went over to Wayne Elementary and, on the wall, there’s a plaque of brick dedications. We put our names there, and I was sitting there finding our name and there’s a woman next to me who I didn’t even know. When she saw my Main Line Pizza shirt on, she said to me, ‘Oh, you’re from Main Line Pizza? I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for our community,'” says Robert.
“We have Radnor High School students who were juniors and seniors when we were [in our 20s] who now come and see us 32 years later, married with kids that are teenagers,” Jennifer notes.
View this post on Instagram
It’s heartwarming to create that kind of a legacy, but it’s equally as bittersweet to leave it behind. Nevertheless, the Saionzes know Main Line Pizza is in good hands with Alban. They’re excited to see him put his own spin on the business and continue the journey they began so many years ago. Both Saionzes recognize his exceptional work ethic and warm personality that suit the atmosphere so well.
“He’s just kind, friendly, easygoing. He’s a wonderful cook. The customers love him. Very friendly, he’s just genuinely nice,” Jennifer shares.
While Alban is living his American dream supported by the Saionzes right now, Robert carried his own emotional weight owning a business in such a prosperous suburb.
Born in Poland, Robert’s father, Paul, was a Holocaust survivor. During World War II, he lost both parents and two siblings. The youngest of his surviving four family members, Paul immigrated to Philadelphia from Eastern Europe like Alban.
Though he passed away in 2017, he would often confide in Robert, “My son owns a business on the Main Line, I live in Wayne and my grandchildren go to Radnor Township High School,” he would say through tears. “Everything I went through was worth it.”
Across three generations, Paul, Robert and Alban have lived a collective American dream. It doesn’t involve Hollywood or the Wild West or millions of dollars. It’s an amalgamation of hard work, sweat and long hours. It’s led to a rewarding life in Wayne where Alban, Ana, Robert and Jennifer have been blessed with the joys of family and friends, building and maintaining an institution that has stood the test of time.
Related: 10 New Restaurants Spicing up the Main Line Region’s Dining Scene
