Award-winning restaurateur/pizzaiolo/chef Joe (Giuseppe) Farruggio was born and raised in beautiful Agrigento, Sicily. With more than 53 years of restaurant, entrepreneurial, and culinary experience, he is now the owner of the renowned Washington, DC landmark Il Canale (#14 on Yelp’s “Top Pizza Spots in USA, 2024), as well as the rapidly expanding 90 Second Pizza concept and A Modo Mio (Featured in 50 Top Pizza as having one of best 50 pizzas in the US) in Virginia.
A key player in the Washington, DC restaurant scene since 1978, lauded restaurateur Joe Farruggio started by working in a pizzeria in New York in 1970, just five days after he came from Italy on a ship called Michelangelo with his family. In 1977 he moved to Virginia and noticed that the presence of the Italian culture and authentic cuisine was scarce in the nation’s capital.
The first restaurant that Mr. Farruggio opened was called Joe’s Place in Woodbridge, VA in 1978. With ongoing success, he opened four additional locations, and in 2020 consolidated his family’s operations into an Arlington location, which reopened in October 2020 with a new name A Modo Mio, which means “My Way” in Italian. Today, he is proud to operate his restaurants “his way,” meaning that his family members remain closely involved at each restaurant to ensure the superior customer service that they proudly provide each day.
Joe Farruggio, whose dream has always been to create a family restaurant in the heart of the nation’s capital, where Washingtonians and visitors from all over the world could enjoy the authentic pizza Napoletana, made with the proper ingredients, opened Il Canale in 2010. Il Canale combines Mr. Farruggio’s respect for the time-honored tradition of pizza making with his passion for authentic culinary arts and the restaurant business along with love for his Sicilian homeland.
Within a few years, Il Canale became a celebrity hot spot in the heart of DC’s Georgetown neighborhood. The go-to dining option of journalists, actors, and heads of state, often hosts the likes of Hillary Clinton, Brigitte Macron, Nancy Pelosi and Harrison Ford, as well as local residents and the Italian community in Washington, DC. Il Canale is now known for its authentic Verace Pizza Napoletana and has received accolades by both Italian and American organizations.
Il Canale is the only restaurant in D.C. to receive the top culinary honor from the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce and the National Institute of Tourism. Il Canale was named “One of the 70 Best Italian Restaurants and Pizzerias in the World” and one of Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat” 2024 (they came in at #14). It also holds the coveted Gambero Rosso title for being a “Top Italian Restaurant” In Washington, DC, and many other distinguished honors. In addition to genuine, artisanal pizza, Il Canale showcases the gastronomic heritage of Sicily and Naples with critically acclaimed pizza, pasta, fish, and delicious desserts. Mr. Farruggio’s kitchens only use the best organic flour and create the best quality ingredients which include ricotta imported from Sicily and fresh basil from his terrace garden, which is believed to be the “biggest basil farm in DC!””
Mr. Farruggio most recently opened The DC-based 90 Second Pizza Chain which was created to offer clients authentic Neapolitan pizza in just 90 seconds. A game changer in the pizza chain industry, 90 Second Pizza enables you to enjoy nutritious, traditional Italian pizza in a fraction of the time that American-style fast food pies are served. They currently have three locations in the nation’s capital and are planning to open a fourth later this year. The distinguished restaurateur has become a prominent member of both the restaurant and Italian-American communities in DC. He can often be found giving back to the community in the Washington, DC area. Happy to be of service to the place which fostered his talents, he has sponsored, hosted, and catered many benefits in the area. Mr. Farruggio has also participated in many events at the Casa Italiana Socio-Cultural Center, The Embassy of Italy, and many more prestigious locations.
All three of Mr. Farruggio’s restaurant concepts and his story have been featured in countless articles including those in: Forbes,The Washington Post, Washington Life Magazine, Thrillist, Washingtonian, USA Today, The Georgetowner, Eater DC, Medium, Authority Magazine, We The Italians, and many more newspapers, magazines, blogs, and television programs.
Nowadays he lives in Washington, DC with his wife Teresa. The couple also spends a significant amount of time in Florida and Sicily each year as well. They are the proud parents of five children: Roberto, Enrico, and Alessandro from Joe’s previous marriage and of Manuela and Dalila from Teresa’s first marriage. A year and a half ago they became grandparents of Francesco, the son of Teresa’s daughter Manuela, who will soon be giving birth to her second child. One of Mr. Farruggio’s favorite ways of balancing the stress of operating his successful businesses is running. He has completed 19 marathons and is looking forward to running his next 2024.
My Name is Joe And I Am A Pizza Man, Mr. Farruggio’s first book, is a memoir co-written with award-winning, best-selling author Thierry Sagnier. The highly anticipated volume was released in September 2022.
In addition to telling the quintessential story of an immigrant achieving the American dream, it offers valuable lessons for anyone searching to make their dreams come true. Equally inspirational and thought evoking, Mr. Farruggio’s biography will motivate readers to follow their passions while increasing their profits. When he is not working, running, or spending time with his family, Mr. Farruggio enjoys sharing his life and business lessons with students and entrepreneurs of all ages.
