Serpico's Bread Co. pizza truck parks in Melville

Jim Serpico is a pizzaiolo caught between two business models: He loves the freedom of operating a pizza truck — the flexible schedule, the limited staff, the catering opportunities. But he realizes that a rolling pizzeria has a tough time gathering customers.

Now he thinks he’s hit upon a perfect (or, at least, pretty good) medium. Since May 13, his Serpico’s Bread Co. pizza truck has been parked every Wednesday to Friday at 260 Spagnoli Rd. in Melville. There, he is slinging nine pizzas ($14.99 to $21.99) — from simple red pies like Margherita and meatball-ricotta to more creative whites such as truffle-mushroom and The Fig Boss with fig jam, prosciutto, mozzarella, ricotta and red pepper flakes, plus three overstuffed sandwiches ($12.99 to $14.99) on his airy, crusty focaccia.

Serpico, a former television and film producer, started baking during the pandemic, first selling sourdough bread at farmers markets, then dabbling in pizza and then, last spring, launching a fully equipped pizza truck. In addition to catering gigs and public events, he began showing up once a week at an office park on Michael Drive in Syosset.

"In Syosset, business was just OK," he said. "One of the frustrating things about a truck is that it’s hard to build a consistent following. And where we were was very hidden."

He began to dream of a spot on a well-traveled road where he could spend a few days a week. And he hit upon Spagnoli Road in Melville which, he noted, "gets a lot of truck traffic and a lot of local people use it as a shortcut."

He attributes his current site to "tenacity and luck."

For more than a year, he would just pull up in front of random office buildings and try to find someone in charge. Striking out when he was driving his pickup truck, he started driving the pizza truck "to make a bigger impression." Then an acquaintance suggested he try 260 Spagnoli and, in May, the owner agreed to a monthlong trial.

"The first two weeks were slow," Serpico recalled, "but then an Instagram video went viral and we got very busy. The owner was so happy, he told me that I could park my truck in back and even receive some deliveries there."

In the summer, he set up a table alongside the truck and extended the daytime hours to include an evening "pizza garden" with live music, lawn games and string lights.

"I love building a community," he continued. "I love that they know us in the truck, they follow us on Instagram. Sometimes I get a catering gig out of this — sometimes my catering clients show up for pizza."

While a number of food trucks have established brick-and-mortar locations (Americano Pie Shop in Syosset, Josie’s Pizza Bar in Glen Cove, Zozo’s on the Bay in Bayville), Serpico said he’s not interested. "I don’t want to learn how to run a restaurant on my own, and I’m wary of partnerships. It’s hard to find someone you really trust."

For now, Serpico’s Bread Co. pizza truck can be found at 260 Spagnoli Rd., Melville, Wednesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. Extended hours or changes to the schedule are always posted at serpicosbreadco.com, and the truck’s monthly appearances are posted at serpicosbreadco.com/events.