In 1967, Salvatore Canale ventured out from the small town of Altavilla Milicia in Sicily and embarked on a journey to Chicago with his wife, son, and daughter. Salvatore dreamed of bringing a piece of his background to Chicago and sharing it with others. In 1972, he opened a small carry-out establishment in Chicago and called it La Villa.

Salvatore took pride in his pizza and enjoyed entertaining the neighborhood kids by flipping pizza dough in the window. After outgrowing the original location, in 1976, Salvatore relocated the business to its current location.​

50 years since its original opening, La Villa has expanded from a small carry-out window, to an iconic nationally known restaurant! Salvatore passed away in 2018,  but his recipes and success live on through his daughter Christina and family, who have continued offering customers authentic Italian food and are celebrating one-half century in business!