The family-owned concept will open on National Pizza Party Day and celebrate opening weekend by sharing 500 free slices across Tampa.
Cipriano Zonin, a premier pizzeria steeped in family tradition and offering authentic Italian on the go, will bring its signature, old-world recipes and brand new truck to Tampa Bay this month. The mobile pizzeria will host its grand opening in celebration of National Pizza Party Day on Friday, May 19, followed by a second appearance in Water Street Tampa on Saturday.
The grand opening will be held in partnership with Tiny Tap Tavern, located at 2105 W. Morrison Ave. in South Tampa. Guests are encouraged to RSVP for the event, where the brand will give away 300 free slices of pizza to attendees from 5 to 8 p.m. Customers can also find Cipriano Zonin at Water Street Tampa’s Pawty in the Plaza event on Saturday, May 20, where the brand will give away another 200 free slices from 3 to 6 p.m.
The new concept’s story begins with the Zonin family in Gambellara, Italy. With the immigration of Co-Founder Ashley Salmon’s great grandfather Cipriano Zonin to Manhattan in the 1920s, the family was quickly famed for its Italian sausage company and signature recipes. The company later relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts. Today, Cipriano Zonin is making a truly unique name for itself in Tampa’s growing pizza scene with ingredients like imported Italian plum tomatoes, Luganiga sausage, imported Italian double-zero flour, house-made Sicilian cream sauce and more.
Its pizzas are made in a 28-foot truck—the exterior of which proudly features the brand’s namesake—housing a stone oven manufactured in New England that gives its 22-inch pies a crispy crust and distinct flavor. The menu features four specialty pizzas served by the slice.
“Beyond the flavor of our pizza, we want people to feel like family,” said Ashley Salmon, co-founder and great granddaughter of the original Cipriano Zonin. “As a self-proclaimed Ancestry.com addict, it has been incredibly rewarding to bring my family’s rich history to life through something new that we can share with the masses.”
John and Ashley met in Nashville in 2016 and were married in 2021, and the pair brings a shared passion for quality food to the brand. With Ashley working in corporate hospitality and eyewear, and John juggling his acting career and culinary role at Nashville-based 5 Points Pizza, they took the leap to launch their own business in December of 2022.
Together, the couple has seen Cipriano Zonin through every step of its journey—from menu and brand development and the design and construction of its truck to establishing its vendors—all to bring their unique vision to life in Tampa Bay.
“I’m the one with the kitchen skills, and Ashley brings the family recipes and an amazing passion for keeping the tradition alive—we both know good food and make a perfect team,” said Co-Founder John Salmon. “We hope to show Tampa Bay our love for our family and these recipes through excellent pizza.”
The brand will maintain a primary presence in Tampa, traveling between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Customers can also secure the truck for catering and event services.
About Cipriano Zonin
Founded by a husband-wife duo in Tampa, Florida, and steeped in family tradition, Cipriano Zonin is a mobile pizzeria that brings authentic Italian cuisine to your neighborhood—or anywhere for that matter. Its story begins with the Zonin family in Gambellara, Italy, before making its way to Manhattan with the immigration of Co-Owner and Co-Founder Ashley Salmon’s great grandfather Cipriano Zonin, who opened an Italian sausage company in the 1920s. Cipriano eventually relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts, from Manhattan. His dedication to quality ingredients earned him a reputation for excellence in the food industry, and C. Zonin Co. became famous for its signature Luganiga, a wine and cheese sausage native to Northern Italy. The recipe for this sausage has been passed down for generations and is now a staple on the pizzeria’s menu. Today, the brand continues Cipriano Zonin’s legacy by offering delicious stone-oven pizzas by the slice. To learn more, visit www.ciprianozonin.com or find Cipriano Zonin on Facebook and Instagram.