WILMINGTON- When you hear the name “Pizzapalooza” you may think it sounds cheesy, but that’s the point. With their new pizzeria at 19 South Main Street, Sara Jasinski and Jason Petrelli are ready to seize the day, or as they like to say, “cheese the day.” Jasinski and Petrelli, business partners from Newtown, CT, will swing open their doors to the public, along with their pizza oven doors, on Friday at noon, beginning what they describe as an exciting venture with endless possibilities, called Pizzapalooza Micro-Pub. “It’s a pizza party, that’s what it is,” said Jasinski, “We’ve spent time in northern Vermont and we like the flare that’s going on up there. We want to bring it back down here and make specialty pizzas, because no one is really doing that in Wilmington.”

“We want a pizza stone vibe,” said Petrelli.

Jasinski and Petrelli are ready to roll out the dough approximately one month after signing the lease to the building that once housed Apres Vous. Petrelli used to build houses in and around the Wilmington area, and remembered what a good location the building was, and the fun that could be had in its space. “I knew the area and a lot of people around here,” said Petrelli. “When I saw this place was available I told Sara about what a great spot it was and how sad I was to see it go.” Jasinski is an entrepreneur, and after helping run her family’s Polish deli in Meriden, CT, for years, she was ready to begin something new.

Pizzapalooza will be a family-friendly spot, according to Petrelli. Opening at noon, Petrelli wants the entire family to come down for a pie at lunch or dinner. They will offer crazy flavored sodas from Avery’s “totally gross” sodas in New Britain, CT, which features flavors like “Bug Barf,” a combination of pineapple and kiwi. After dinner hours, their line-up of local and regional micro-brews will provide a night club hangout featuring live music every week. Through this combination, Petrelli and Jasinski expect a wide clientele.

Like any new business, the menu is subject to expansion, but Pizzapalooza will focus on appetizers like poutine, artichoke dip, and wings, and specialty pizzas like Petrelli and Jasinski’s Polish kielbasa pizza, and breakfast pizzas. Currently, their friend Mark Tambascio is helping the duo get ready. Tambascio runs My Place, a restaurant and pizzeria in Newtown, CT, and he is in town to help Jasinski and Petrelli select beers and pizza combinations, and with the grand opening.

Petrelli has his sights set on the future, and wants to expand the back deck for outdoor dining, install a bocci ball court next to the building, and create a bloody Mary bar: a buffet of ingredients to put in your bloody Mary.

Already, Jasinski has taken a liking to Wilmington. “Everyone has been really useful,” said Jasinski. “Everyone you think is going to be your competition is really helpful, like The Anchor, the Village Pub, and Jezebel’s. They’ve been giving us information we need to succeed.”

Pizzapalooza’s hours will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 12 pm to 12 am, and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, with plans to expand their hours in time.