Sunday, February 23, 2014

Pizza parlor opens in Templeton

Pizza parlor opens in Templeton

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

Owner Chris Christodoulou (left) with employees Mackenzie MacAdams, Megan Derosiers, and Brandon Buthen behind the counter at Reno’s Pizzeria in East Templeton.

TEMPLETON— Hungry Templeton residents have a new restaurant to try, as Reno’s Pizzeria recently opened it’s doors for business.

Owned by Chris Christodoulou and her husband Reno, the eatery seated its first customers last Tuesday after a two-year long journey. Despite the sometimes arduous process, Ms. Christodoulou was thankful for the people of Templeton for their support.

“It was the people in town that pushed us. I almost gave up,” she said. “There was a lot of bumps in the road, but we got here.”

The Rutland couple also owns Parker House of Pizza in Gardner. They decided to open a restaurant in Templeton after their customers said they wanted a location closer to home.


“They wanted a pizza place in town, so we decided to move forward,” said Ms. Christodoulou.

For Ms. Christodoulou, opening a pizza restaurant was an easy decision, as pizza making had been in her family for generations. The couple met after her husband, a former soccer player in Greece, came to the states.

They decided to open Parker House 11 years ago and have enjoyed a strong connection to the community ever since, sponsoring baseball teams and donating to the Gardner CAC on a yearly basis. Ms. Christodoulou vowed to carry that tradition of helping the community over to their new home in Templeton and hoped to connect with the local food pantry to donate to those in need.

“Helping the community is very important to us, in Templeton and in Gardner,” she said. “They help us, we give back. That’s just how it is.”

The restaurant’s menu, which features a number of specialty and gourmet pizzas, is almost identical to Parker House’s, except for the meat sauce Mr. Christodoulou prepares special for the Gardner location.

Ultimately, Ms. Christodoulou said, Reno’s is all about the customers who have supported them for over a decade.

“I’m so grateful for my customers, because without them we wouldn’t be here right now,” Ms. Christodoulou said.

While Reno’s is open for business, the restaurant has not yet had its grand opening and Ms. Christodoulou said she was looking forward to finalizing a date for the formal ceremony.

The restaurant is located at 132 Patriots Road in East Templeton and offers both take-out and seating for guests to eat in.



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