News
March 26, 2021Gennaro’s Pizza Opens their Second Location in Albany
On March 25, the Chamber was honored to participate in Gennaro’s Pizza’s ribbon cutting for their second location, which opened at 1704 Western Avenue in Albany.
Gennaro’s is a family owned and operated, wood-fired pizzeria and Italian restaurant. Gennaro’s serve the classics from margarita style pizzas to new, artisanal style pizzas. Gennaro’s also offers an array of Italian-American favorites like chicken parmesan and penne al a vodka.
Operating a restaurant is no foreign concept to owners, Alex and Carina Rodriguez as they have both spent their extensive careers in hospitality.
Alex began his career in 1995 owning and operating a neighborhood bar and grill in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. From there, he went on to own, operate and/or partner in nearly 20 restaurants nationwide, including; Greenwich Brewing Company, 121 Fulton Street, Sushi Samba, and Bocadillo. Before relocating to the Capital Region, he was the COO of a national hospitality group based in New York City. His passion for food, service and hospitality are his career’s driving force. Owning Gennaro’s Pizza Parlor has been one of Alex’s most loved projects to date and as a SUNY Albany graduate he knew expanding to Albany would be the perfect fit for the growing business.
Carina’s passion for hospitality began at a young age. She worked her way through all levels of the business since the age of 15, and eventually found her calling in event planning. She worked as the Event Planner of 121 Fulton Street Restaurant in the Financial District in Manhattan and as Director of Events for a hospitality group’s New Jersey properties. She loves living in Saratoga Springs and hopes to share her expertise of party planning and Social Media marketing to both the Saratoga and Albany communities.
Alex and Carina Rodriguez relocated from New York City with their son, Beck, to Saratoga Springs in the fall of 2018. The family just welcomed another little boy, Jet, in November 2020.
Alex and Carina hope to serve the neighborhood with a smile and provide a superior product to the Guilderland and Albany communities.
Many thanks to our Ribbon Cutting Presenting Sponsor, Saratoga National Bank & Trust Company.
