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To be a part of a family business, you have to treat everyone like family.

That’s the case for Luigi’s Italian Grill and owner/operators Armend Hajdari and Elizabeta Hajdari.

The husband and wife team have been taking care of hungry folks in Orange County for the past 13 years. Not only is the food great but the atmosphere and way the Hajdari family and all of their employees wait on guests is what makes the establishment shine.

“My wife and our family have enjoyed Orange so much over the years,” said Armend Hajdari. “The people here welcomed us with open arms when we arrived, and we’re so grateful to call Orange our home.

“We use to live in the Dallas-Fort Worth, and everything is just so much different here. There is so much less hustle and bustle. In Orange, everyone is so friendly, everyone comes in with smiles on their faces. The people here are the type that will roll up their sleeves and help you in anyway possible. Our slogan on our menu is ‘Where you are treated like family.’ That’s the way my family feels living here, and we want to treat everyone like they are a part of our family, too.”

Hajdari opened up the first Luigi’s at the old Pizza Hut location by Walmart and it was thriving as all of the locals loved the old-styled Italian food restaurant.

However, after a couple storms and COVID-19 the old building needed major repairs, ones Hajdari didn’t not want to deal with.

After a few months he decided Orange was going to be his family’s home no matter what. The old Mazzio’s Pizza building was available.

Hajdari invested in the new spot with help from his family and employees, and has turned the location at 3108 Edgar Brown Drive into one of the best dining areas in Orange County.

“It took a lot of hard work to get the building up and running. We had leaks in the roof and several other items we had to fix up,” said Hajdari. “I’m so proud of everyone that was involved, especially our employees. They rolled up their sleeves to help get us going strong, and that will always be deeply appreciated.”

The food

Luigi’s has an array of delicious items on the menu, from the classic Italian food to tasty seafood and veal entrees.

They have a massive pizza selection that includes every type of topping possible. They also have the classic calzones and Stromboli, along with all of the delicious pasta favorites.

The shrimp fettuccine is one of the local crowd’s favorites. Hot subs are also a lunch favorite. Appetizers such as stuffed mushrooms, mocks and fried ravioli can certainly get families on the right track before the main dishes come out.

“We do have an excellent menu that offers our customers a wide variety,” said Hajdari. “One of the coolest things is that customers don’t have to go strictly by the menu. We can create whatever they want and how they want it cooked. If they come up with it, we’re going to fix it and look to satisfy all of their tastes.

Even during current times of high costs across the nation, Luigi’s prices are very good compared to a lot of other Italian-styled dining places across Southeast Texas.

“We have our lunch specials every Tuesday through Thursday and we also urge customers to check out our daily special,” expressed Hajdari.

Hajdari loves it when his staff can prepare great food and host groups.

“We want to provide an amazing atmosphere for each and everyone that comes in,” said Hajdari. “We love to have groups. We’ve had wedding parties quite a bit. Just recently Home Depot had a group of 60 to 70 people, and that was a blast. We can seat up to 135 customers, so handling groups is something we can handle.”

Hajdari uses his friendly personality to brighten every customer’s day.

He is always roaming around the facility, talking to people about their day and how everything is going.

“I’ve gotten to know so many families through the last several years, and I like to treat them like my own,” he said. “Customers, they are the ones that help me raise my family and put food on our table at home, and that makes me feel so grateful. I love messing around with people, love picking at the kids and having fun with them.”

For those hungry folks who don’t have the time to dine in, Luigi’s offers take-out. Hungry customers can call 409-886-3000 or 409-886-3007 to pick up or call ahead if they have a group coming.