Reprinted exactly from the historical plaque on the coffee shop located at the intersection of Buffalo and Erie streets in Milwaukee's Third Ward district.
The Birth of Pizza in Milwaukee
From the street level restaurant of a narrow three-story building that was next to and south of here, pizza was introduced and popularized in Milwaukee.
Joe and Agatha Todaro developed a recipe that called for thin crust and was served rectangular in shape. Their marketing technique – handing out pizza slices on Milwaukee’s downtown streets – was an allure that soon self-perpetuated.
The Caradaro Club’s popularity permeated the region and its facade frequently restrained lines of dating couples and groups of expectant patrons.
The Caradaro secret recipe remained an attraction for 25 years after which the Todaros retired from restauranteuring and sold the Caradaro Club.
The new owners kept it there until a fire destroyed the building in 1978.
Erected 2000.
