In the film Do The Right Thing, Giancarlo Esposito's character, Buggin' Out, asks Sal, the owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn, "Hey Sal, how come they ain't no brothas on the wall?" Referencing the wall of white celebrities, Buggin' Out served as inspiration to Walter Barista's own success, Sal's Pizzeria, one of University Heights' fondest traditions.
Barisita, a native of Brooklyn, brought New York City-style pizza to Sal's, located at 3172 Main Street in Buffalo, in 1991. Since then, Sal's has been one of UB students' favorite late-night hot spots, sometimes with lines outside the door at 3 a.m., with students dying for a taste of Walter's sauce.
While students are particularly fond of Walter's pizza, Sal's also offers calzones, stromboli, rolls, garlic nuts, meat pies and wings. Sal's offers somewhere between 10 and 12 pies every night, trying to mix it up and "throw in something different, just to tempt the buds," Barista said.
With his mottos of "consistency with every bite" and "satisfying the hunger within us," Barista has established a very loyal customer base.
"All businesses are unique," he said. "Nobody has my sauce, though, or my tender loving care."
With sauce so good, one customer describes it as "sauce that could be a meal in itself." Sal's offers something to satisfy all customers.
Walter, a native of Brooklyn, runs the business with his four employees, Amy, Mike, Jeremiah and Janelle. This New York City-style pizza place has become more than just a local eatery to those who know it best - a sense of community is felt by all of its patrons.
Walter, with his charisma and charm, greets each customer individually, asking them personal questions such as where they work, what fraternity they belong to or whether their order is "for here or to stay." This is part of what gives Sal's that sense of home and belonging for its patrons.
"The best part of the business is that even though we are niched in the center of University Heights, we get people coming in from all over," Barista said. "We satisfy the hunger of all."
Though Sal's main customer base is college and university students, as it is open late night and a popular spot for some after-hours activity, people from all over the state come to munch on Walter's pizza. "I get people that fly in, and this is the first place they come to," he said.
Sal's is more about the food, though. Barisita brings a sense of community to his customers and has created a long-standing tradition for students on his walls. As a playoff of the Do The Right Thing scene, Barisita invites all "brothers and sisters" to create something to hang on his walls.
Barisita offers a chance for all "brothers and sisters" to gain some recognition. "If you're in an organization and you'd like to do something good for your organization, bring a poster of your letters with some type of association with Sal's (without using registered trademarks) in a poster-sized cardboard, and I'll put it on the walls," said Barisita.
With posters now covering the walls of Sal's Pizzeria, Barisita has continued on this tradition and made it a favorite Greek pastime for students. This sense of family Barisita brings into Sal's Pizzeria isn't just for Buffalo Greeks, however. "This is the one place where you can start a conversation on Monday, and on Wednesday, continue it," Barisita said. "I know my customers as well as they'll let me know them. I see people when they come in and they're freshmen, and I see people leave as graduates. You get to see people grow up."
Barisita's business has spread mostly through the word of mouth of his customers. "Advertising is a big selling point, but word of mouth is even more."
Barisita started his pizzeria when he was 19. "I enjoy my business very much. This is a great accomplishment for me," he said. "If you've never gone through something, and you go through it and are successful the first time, you make a big deal of it. There's nothing better than that first laugh."
Like all business owners, Barisita has struggled in establishing his pizzeria and creating a successful business for himself. Having been closed last fall for a couple days, Barisita, like many local business owners, still has to work hard to maintain and keep his business going. "One of my major problems is having a neighbor who is hot one minute and cold the next," said Barisita. "Being a minority business owner where it seems like minorities are not welcome is difficult; they can knock me down, I'm still going to get back up. My biggest competition is myself, and I'm here to stay."
Sal's Pizzeria is open late every night but stays open especially late on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. While the pizza is affordable for college students, Barisita's food is in no way lacking in taste. Laura Monte, a senior psychology major, has been eating at Sal's since she was a freshman. "I think they have the best pizza around - I love the New York-style pizza," Monte said.
Sal's is open late every night, usually until 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Take out or delivery is available. To check out the menu for Sal's Pizzeria, look them up online or search for Sal's Pizzeria at myspace.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
