Hi-Way Pizza

Nearly 60 years of tradition and delicious authentic Italian food make HiWay Pizza a State College staple! They hand-craft all of their 100% house-made pizza dough and Italian sauces, made from scratch every day. Each pie is hand-tossed and baked to order in a brick-lined oven topped with the freshest and finest authentic imported ingredients. HiWay Pizza Pub currently operates 3 locations in State College, PA, “Downtown,” “West,” and “North.” Even after decades of serving up pies to the State College area, they’re just getting started!

HiWay Pizza Pub West opened in November of 2017, offering a peek into the bright future of HiWay. The new location has fun modern branding along with a contemporary-casual atmosphere boasting state-of-the-art sound and video and (of course) free WiFi. A fresh slogan, “Every Game. Every Day,” has become their new theme, with wall-to-wall 4K high-definition video monitors boasting daily and nightly sports action. A spacious, centralized bar offers a large draft beer list, hand-crafted cocktails, and blended frozen drinks, serving the happy hour as well as the late-night crowd. Separate seating sections for family and kids support our long-time commitment to family time together around the dinner table. An expansive carry-out and delivery counter keeps today’s trends of internet ordering, eating on the go, and third-party delivery services.

HiWay Pizza knows where their food comes from. Every pie is made in their kitchens fresh from scratch each and every day, just as they’ve been doing for nearly 60 years! Every day begins the night before in their private bakery and commissary producing breads, doughs, sauces, dressings, and desserts all made 100% in-house. Every dish is always prepared to order and made in-house using fresh, local, and authentic ingredients. Why do it any other way?

When Hi-Way Pizza was founded in 1963, they had no idea how a small dedication to creating fresh pies made-to-order would transform the State College pizza scene. Owner and founder Andy Zangrilli began his restaurant career at the young age of 13 at a pizza shop in nearby Altoona, Pennsylvania. His passion for the restaurant industry began at 19 when he became the restaurant manager. At 22 he was ready to strike out on his own when he persuaded his employer to form a partnership, opening Hi-Way Pizza in 1963 on Heister Street in State College. Just a year later at the age of 23, Andy bought out his partner and became sole proprietor, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Andy’s talent, vision, and charisma would help pave the way over several decades to form Dante’s Restaurants, one of the most unique multi-concept restaurant and nightlife companies in Pennsylvania. Now, six decades later, Andy is still going strong and taking part in our everyday operations. He continues to be a motivated visionary and pizza legend,  just the same as that 13-year-old kid in the Altoona pizza shop.

The early success of HiWay Pizza's “Cut Pie” had lines running down Heister Street waiting for a hot slice of Andy’s unique square-cut Sicilian-style pizza. By the early 1970s, Andy’s success helped him open two more HiWay Pizza locations, HiWay “Round Pie” located around the corner on Garner Street, and our first full-service location: HiWay Westerly located on Westerly Parkway.

With Andy’s purchase of his Heister Street next-door neighbor, The Nittany Lodge, Andy combined the two locations and re-opened as The Deli Restaurant in 1973. The original HiWay “Cut Pie” shop would move up to the corner of Heister Street and College Avenue, the same location as HiWay Pizza Pub Downtown to this day! With no time for complacency, Andy Zangrilli continues to work hard and dream big for the next 50 years of HiWay Pizza.

HiWay Pizza is constantly enhancing the atmosphere and guest experience, as well as expanding food and drink menus. Today’s customers can enjoy a fresh slice of Andy Zangrelli’s original pizza, with the same good times and classic experiences that were so important 60 years ago.