'We were outgrowing our place': Popular Cape Coral pizza joint opens a second location

Hunter Bloch and John Saladino were waiting for the right opportunity to come along.

And when it did, the co-owners of Luciano’s Pizza in Cape Coral were ready.

Luciano’s Too Pizzeria opened late last month in Entrada Plaza off Del Prado N., in the space previously occupied by Morrone’s Pizzeria.

“We always planned on expanding at some point,” Bloch said. “We were outgrowing our place.”

Judging by the lines out the door on Friday nights, they sure were.

“It’s so busy,” said Bloch, who opened Luciano’s with Saladino in Lighthouse Plaza on Pine Island Road in March 2017. “People come and go in and out all night.”

That’s where Luciano’s Too comes in.

“It was kind of turnkey for us,” Bloch said. “We just did cosmetic stuff. We painted, updated it.”

It’s bigger than the Pine Island Road location, so table service is offered.

N.Y.-style pizza and more on the menu

And as far as the menu goes, “it’s similar, but there are differences.”

“We are able to do more stuff now,” Bloch said. “We have more pasta dishes — fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti and clams, shrimp scampi.”

Both locations serve N.Y.-style pizzas with build-your-own and gourmet pies offered.

“We actually sell a lot of cheese and pepperoni,” Bloch said. “Specialty pizzas do well too.”

Luciano’s Too has 11 signature pies — from Manhattan supreme (pepperoni, sausage, meatball, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, black olives and mozzarella) to truffle pizza — coming in small, large, Sicilian and gluten-free.

Appetizers here — think bruschetta, mussels marinara, meatballs and shrimp cocktail — differ from the original location – pepperoni, spinach and Hawaiian rolls, garlic knots and mozzarella sticks there.

A variety of salads are available at both (antipasto, and caprese among them), as are calzones, strombolis and subs.

And don’t forget the desserts. There are homemade cannoli and tiramisu, N.Y cheesecake and decadent chocolate cake at both locations.

Beer and wine are also served.

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If Luciano’s Too is anything like the original Luciano’s it’ll be a great move for Bloch and Saladino.

“We’ve been slowly doing more and more every year,” Bloch said. “It just built up.”

Luciano’s Too (239-441-1200) is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday at 3571 Del Prado Blvd. N., Unit 12 in Cape Coral (follow on Facebook). Luciano’s Pizza (239-360-8112) is open 4-9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday at 728 SW Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, (lucianospizzafl.com).

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Luciano's Pizza grows in Cape Coral with the opening of Luciano's Too