Mary Chao

@marychaostyle

Salvatore's Old Fashioned Pizza plans to convert its Rochester-area locations to sit-down restaurants with full liquor licenses.

The Webster-based pizza chain will rebrand itself as Salvatore's Pizza Pub and close or move locations that do not fit the new business format, CEO Salvatore "Soccer Sam" Fantauzzo said Tuesday.

There are 30 Salvatore's locations in the Greater Rochester region and two Speedy Slice outlets. The Pittsford locale has already closed because it is too small for its new format, Fantauzzo said. The Salvatore's at 1018 S. Clinton Ave. in Rochester's South Wedge will move to a new location that has yet to be determined. The 240 W. Commercial St. store is expanding in East Rochester.

Speedy Slice is a separate business concept that sells pizza by the slice in city locations; that format will not change, he said.

Based on the recent success of the saloon location in Scottsville and the pub in Penfield, Fantauzzo said he believes this is the right direction for the company.

"People are looking for quality at a good price," he said. "They're looking to feed their family at an affordable rate."

Fantauzzo, 55, compares the evolution of Salvatore's to Pizza Hut in the 1990s, which was a popular place for families to dine and have a beer. Pizza Hut has transitioned its business concept and while some restaurants remain, many have become fast food outlets.

Not all families can afford gourmet wood-fired pizza restaurants with craft cocktails, Fantauzzo said, so Salvatore's aims to fill that affordable family niche. There is definitely a spike in business after a school varsity game, he said, as teams look for affordable places to dine and celebrate.

When completed, all restaurants will have outdoor patios. All Salvatore's will continue to offer full-menu delivery when they become pizza pubs, he said.

Businesses have to change in order to adopt to new consumer trends, said Eugene Fram, a professor emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology who specializes in retail. With businesses that are successful, the change can be gut-wrenching, but it should be made for the future of the company.

"I think it's a visionary move on his part," Fram said.

The rebranding and remodeling for all locations will be complete by the end of 2017, Fantauzzo said. Many of the Salvatore's are already in the process of transitioning:

The original location on East Main Street, with a new dining room, bar and patio, is nearly complete.

In the village of Webster, there's a new bar and dining room patio. It is currently serving beer and wine.

The Brockport location is completely renovated and serving pizza, wines and beer.

At its Garage Door location at 149 E. Ridge Road in Rochester, there are now 50 beer taps and a new look.

The Lake Avenue location in Charlotte is currently undergoing a total renovation.

With the closing of the Pittsford village site and the anticipated closing of the Salvatore's at Clover Lanes in Brighton, Fantauzzo is seeking a larger space for a restaurant in the Brighton and Pittsford corridor.

All Salvatore's are franchises. Nick Pearl, who owns Scottsville and two Henrietta locations said the saloon concept has been a hit. Craft beers are a rage right now and there are not many places that offer craft brews in a family dining atmosphere. The Salvatore's Saloon in Scottsville is also popular for large parties and business meetings, Pearl said.

Pearl is currently evaluating what to do with his two Henrietta sites at 1735 Scottsville Road and 1460 East Henrietta Road, noting that he may close the two smaller locations and open one large Salvatore's Pizza Pub in Henrietta.

Founded in 1978 by Fantauzzo, Salvatore's stemmed from a high school project while he was a student at Eastridge High School in Irondequoit. It is now one of the largest local pizza chains, employing more than 1,200 people full and part time.

MCHAO@Gannett.com