Our Story
Gibroni’s Pizza is more than just a pizza joint; it's a slice of our journey, passion, and a taste of Detroit in the heart of San Clemente. Meet the dream team behind the magic - Tony and Lindsey Gioutsos (pronounced YOU-chus).
A Detroit native, Tony's love affair with square pizza began early. For him, Detroit-style pizza isn't just a dish; it's an art form. Picture it - slightly thick, sauce on top, cheese stretching all the way to the edge of a buttery crust, crispy on the edges, crispy on the bottom, and irresistibly soft in the middle. The secret? It's all in the pans.
Tony's roots in the restaurant business run deep. His Dedo (grandpa) owned the legendary Starr Coney Island on Nine Mile in Detroit. As Greek immigrants, the Gioutsos family lived above the establishment, making it a local landmark famous for Coney dogs and breakfast service.
In 2005, Tony's adventure took a turn when he met Lindsey at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. From that point on, their journey became a shared adventure. After exploring cities like Charlotte, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas (where they even ran a food truck together), the pair decided to head for the beach and found their home in San Clemente. The only catch? No Detroit-style pizza anywhere in Orange County.
"I wanted the taste of back home," Tony says. When the world hit pause during the shutdown, Tony and Lindsey leaned on their food truck experience and dove into pizza experimentation. And just like that, Gibroni’s Pizza was born.
Since our humble beginnings, Gibroni’s has earned its place among the top-rated new pizza joints in San Clemente. We take pride in being the trailblazers of Detroit-style pizza in Orange County, serving up a unique flavor experience that brings a piece of the Motor City to the West Coast. Come join us on this delicious adventure, where every slice tells a story and every bite is a taste of home.