For the Rotolo’s, a sense of family has been a critical part of the restaurant’s experience and success. The family has been serving up delectable pizzas since 1996, and their new Ben Hur location focuses on preserving the past while pioneering for the future.
After nearly two years of collaborative work, Rotolo’s has taken on the subtitle Craft and Crust, elevating its ingredients and décor to create a concept location that hopes to breathe new life into the Baton Rouge food scene.
Approaching the restaurant, one can immediately notice the intentional style change in this Rotolo’s location. A bright, open patio with wooden high-top tables greets potential patrons, and floor-to-ceiling retractable windows open to a restaurant that still says, “Welcome home,” said Vice President of Operations and Branding, Mitchell Rotolo, Jr.
The invocation of browns, yellows, and soft blues in its color scheme and wooden and iron tables cultivates a semi-rustic, comforting feel.
The walls are covered with muted, yet vividly designed images and sayings to accentuate the casual, fun atmosphere Rotolo’s strives to provide its customers with, Rotolo Jr. said. An accent wall is adorned with certificates, awards, news clippings and other merits to showcase the family’s prowess while inviting customers into their lives.
“There’s something about a brand that’s family built that seems to resonate with people,” Rotolo Jr. said.
Originally opening in Tigerland, the Rotolo’s flourished, and while the family didn’t know any different, the made-from-scratch dough and marinara family recipe resonated with customers. The pub style spread to all their future restaurants as the family name became a franchise.
The gamechanger for their brand would come in 2009 when Rotolo’s partnered with the New Orleans Saints, and for three years the company would serve pizzas at all games and events, making a name for themselves and gaining recognition.
The restaurant showcases finer details that highlight the family grounding of Rotolo’s, including personally designed cans with the names of each of the Rotolo children as its “brand.”
Rotolo Jr. attended the International School of Pizza in San Francisco in 2016, and competed in various pizza competitions in Las Vegas and Italy, ultimately winning the Pizza World Championship for fastest pizza dough.
As he traveled, he noticed ingredients pizzerias around the world were using such as prosciutto, burrata, and balsamic reductions, ultimately deciding to use this restaurant to implement them into the Rotolo’s franchise to elevate their pizza’s flavors.
“We wanted to show people what pizza could be,” Rotolo Jr. said. “It doesn’t have to be cheap and easy.”
The new location’s use of cold ingredients like arugula, tomatoes, and white truffle oil allow the pizzas to grow as a lunch item as well. While much of their produce is locally sourced, items like prosciutto are imported from Italy for authenticity.
The Ben Hur location also provides 36 beers on draft, many of which were intentionally selected from lesser-known breweries across the country.
The Rotolo’s slice bar provides customers with off-the-menu options by the slice, allowing them to explore new creations the kitchen puts out and pay by weight.
Rotolo’s Craft and Crust is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
