As Dante’s Pizza closed its location at a Dothan mall last year, it could have easily been the end of the family restaurant.
The restaurant business is hard work, after all. When news got out that owner Raffaele Clemente would be closing his eatery, the response from loyal customers inspired the family.
Dothan, Raffaele Clemente said, has shown the family business a lot of support over the years, and the Clemente family has always tried to support Dothan and the Wiregrass.People are also reading… Dante’s Pizza had been in Wiregrass Commons Mall since 1985. Over the years, Raffaele Clemente saw young customers become parents bringing their own children for a slice of pizza.
A screen behind the counter recently played a video of an assortment of Italian dishes being prepared at Dante’s – pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, and lasagna. Dante’s still offers pizza by the slice. After serving in the Marine Corps for four years, Ozzie returned to Dothan to help his parents after his father had a heart attack. Eventually, Ozzie went on to start a career at Dothan Volkswagen where he is the finance manager. He comes in to the restaurant as he can to help his father, who turns 70 this month.
While there’s only one Dante’s Pizza at the moment, Ozzie said the family is not opposed to branching out again when the time is right. Over the years, Dante’s had a number of local franchise sites around the Wiregrass as well as Panama City Beach, Florida. All were operated by Clemente family members.