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The journey began when a young teenager from Guam found himself relocated to upstate New York. During a Christmas visit to the City with his parents and younger brothers, he was struck by the sheer perfection of New York pizza—the crispy crust, the vibrant sauce, the symphony of flavors that danced on his tongue. Pizza was no longer fast-food but a convergence of history, technique, and art. It was a revelation, one that haunted him long after he returned to Guam in 2005.
“to share your food is to share your heart”
“if you love something, you’ll teach yourself.”
By 2014, life had thrown more than its fair share of hardships at the young man—now with a family of his own. He and his girlfriend (now wife), parents at a young age, were living in his parents' house, struggling to make ends meet on food stamps while raising three young children. He had been out of work for a year while she worked as a makeup artist to support their family. The weight of it all was overwhelming.
But amidst the struggle, a craving for that unforgettable New York pizza kept resurfacing—along with a determined resolve: if he couldn’t take his family to New York, he would bring New York to them.
In the cozy childhood kitchen of his parents' home, he began experimenting. Friends and family, sensing his passion, became his first customers, offering feedback and encouragement. There were countless failures, frustrating nights of cardboard crusts, and moments of doubt—but he pressed on, driven by the hope that this dream could one day become a reality.
“Lessons that outlived him”
February 12th, 2015, tragedy struck—the loss of his father left a gaping void in his life. The grief was almost unbearable, but from this sorrow came a glimmer of hope. With a portion of his father’s life insurance money, he convinced his mother to help him buy a commercial pizza oven. This was no small step; it was a leap, a decision to turn grief into something meaningful.
For the next year, he poured his heart into perfecting his craft. Each day brought him closer to mastering the art of pizza making, each pie a tribute to the father he had lost. By 2017, he was ready to open the doors to the public. In honor of his father’s memory, he named the restaurant after him, calling it “Tommy’s Pizza Shoppe.”
“Living in a Flour House”
When Tommy’s opened in 2017, it wasn’t just a restaurant—it became the place they lived, in every sense of the word. There was no staff, no backup plan, and no time to waste. Just two young parents, three little kids, and a dream they weren’t willing to let go of. They didn’t have big investors or deep pockets—just grit, hustle, and belief in the food they were serving.
Early on, his wife made a bold decision—she left her job to support the dream full-time, standing shoulder to shoulder with him through the long days and even longer nights. She became the engine behind the counter and the heartbeat of the kitchen, wearing every hat—from cashier to cook to comforter for their kids in the back. She took and organized orders while he made each pie by hand—40 doughs a day, to be exact. Her dedication kept the vision alive, even when the odds were stacked high.
They worked 12, sometimes 16 hours a day—opening, prepping, serving, and closing—only to start again the next morning. They made sauces before breakfast and mixed dough before telling their kids bedtime stories. The shop became their everything.
Their hands balled the dough in the early morning and scrubbed dishes late into the night. Their children played under the prep table, did homework on the old repurposed spool tables, and became part of the hustle. They grew up to the slamming of a steel oven door, the smoke of burnt cheese curling on a hot stone deck.
It wasn’t easy. There were nights filled with doubt, and days fueled by caffeine and sheer will. But that little pizza shop held them together. It gave them purpose. It fed their family in more ways than one.
They didn’t just build a business. They built a flour house—a place shaped by struggle, bound by love, and filled with the kind of warmth only a family can bring.
“Why we exist”
Having experienced the soul-crushing reality of living paycheck to paycheck, the couple was determined that Tommy’s Pizza Shoppe would be more than just a restaurant. It would be a place where single families, like their own, could enjoy a quality meal at a price they could afford. They wanted to create an experience that didn’t break the bank, offering a taste of something extraordinary to those who needed it most. For most, a roundtrip from Guam to New York City can cost up to $4,000. Tommy’s committed to bring the New York Pizza experience to Guam for those who may never reach the terminals of JFK International airport.