LEBANON, Pa. (WHTM) — The owners of Pucillo’s Pizza & Pasta restaurant in Lebanon will soon unveil their new food truck to the surrounding community.
Pucillo’s Pizza & Pasta was owned and operated by Siobhan Pucillo for 30 years, before the Italian restaurant’s closure in Nov. 2022. According to Pucillo, the closure was due to issues with their staff, and a lack of time to spend with loved ones.
“[Running the restaurant] just became too much,” Pucillo said. “[My husband and I] didn’t have a life together because we had to be there.”
Pucillo’s Pizza & Pasta’s former location on 1032 S. 5th Ave. was later taken over by another Italian restaurant, called Angelo’s.
After a little over a year of being closed, Pucillo and her husband, Thomas Hetrick, decided to get back into the food service industry, but this time they decided to take to the streets to do it, by creating a new food truck, called Italian Oven on Wheels.
“My husband always wanted to have a food truck,” Pucillo said. “He always wanted to try it, so we decided to have one built.”
According to Pucillo, the new food truck will be visiting areas all across the Midstate for public outings and events, while also offering opportunities to cater private events and parties as well.
Even though the food truck hasn’t even had its grand opening yet, according to Pucillo, the Italian Oven on Wheels is practically booked for the whole summer already.
According to a Facebook post, the new menu for the Italian Oven on Wheels will offer several of the family’s Italian specialties, such as:
- Traditional pizza (with options for cauliflower and gluten free crust)
- Handheld strombolis
- Ham & pepperoni puffs (served with homemade marinara sauce)
- Variety of cold subs
- Hot meatball subs
- Salads with their homemade Italian dressing
- Cannoli
- Dottie feathers homemade cream filled cupcakes
It should be noted that the menu for Italian Oven on Wheels is subject to change in the upcoming future. According to Pucillo, she hopes to eventually cycle soups and other pasta meals onto the menu.
The Italian Oven on Wheels is set to have its official grand opening this Friday, March 31 at the Carriage House Style on 75 W. Main Street. The food truck will be serving guests from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Customers should note that the Italian Oven on Wheels is a cash-only food truck.
According to Pucillo, the best way to stay up to date with where the food truck is to follow their Facebook page.
“We’re all excited, and we are really excited to see all of our old customers again,” Pucillo stated. “It’ll be great to see everyone again – our customers have become part of our family!”
