For many adults, revisiting the places from childhood can bring a rush of memories — post-game pizza parties, spring break lunches, or weekend family dinners. Capogna’s Dugout in Clearwater has long been one of those places.

Owner Al Capogna takes pride in that legacy.

“You start eating pizza and spaghetti here when you’re 6 or 7 years old. We’ve been open 50 years, so that means we’ve had customers coming back for 43 years — and now they’re bringing their kids. We’ve got third-generation families coming in,” he told Bay News 9.

Capogna’s Dugout first opened in 1973, after Al’s father fell in love with the Clearwater area during a vacation from Michigan. Since then, it’s become more than a restaurant — it’s a neighborhood institution that’s weathered decades of change.

But recent years have tested them like never before. The pandemic was already tough. Then, last fall, hurricanes Helene and Milton delivered a crushing blow.

“We lost everything,” Capogna said. “Cheese, milk, chicken wings — thousands of dollars in food and equipment gone. No power for days, and the storm wrecked everything on the roof.”

The family tried to keep going, but in October, they announced on Facebook that Capogna’s would close for good. It was heartbreaking.

“I thought that was it,” Al said. “I thought, ‘Our dynasty is gone.’”

But the story wasn’t over. Even while the restaurant sat closed, offers of help poured in. Then came a turning point: Sean Stoffel stepped in with a plan to revive the business — not replace it.

He took over operations and kept everything the same, right down to the dough recipe. Al stayed on as an advisor, and many of the original staff returned.

“When this came up, we weren’t sure. But now? It’s worked out better than we ever imagined,” Capogna boasted to Bay News 9. “It’s all the same.”

Al’s brother is still making the sauce, and longtime customers are once again filling the booths, reliving old memories and making new ones.

Though Al now works elsewhere, he and his family continue to lend a hand when needed. For him, the best part is knowing the legacy lives on — one slice at a time.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: Tampa Bay Times)

PIE-Sun.com: local St. Pete-Clearwater news