By DENISE R. FREELAND

News Leader Staff Writer

To celebrate its ninth anniversary in Minerva, Gionino's Pizzeria will be sponsoring cruise-in car shows every Thursday, beginning April 24 through September or October, weather permitting.

Pat and Del Stanley, Gionino's owners, plan to have a disc jockey playing music from the 50s and 60s and will sell pizza by the slice. The Stanleys hope other area businesses and organizations will get involved, offering door prizes and other activities.

A NASCAR car will be exhibited on one date in June and one in August, Pat said, and the car being raffled by the Rotary Club will be on display and tickets will be available at the events.

"We want to give back to the community that has supported us," Pat said.

There will be a $5 entry fee for cars to be displayed, which will go to the car club presenting the show, and spectators are welcome. Businesses or organizations interested in getting involved in the cruise-ins can contact Pat on her cell phone, 330-323-6416.

Gionino's offers pizza, chicken, subs, wings, salads and pasta dinners. Customers can dine in, enjoying outdoor tables on the patio now that warmer weather has arrived, pick up their orders, or have them delivered within a seven-mile radius. Pat also noted that a drive-through window may be added in the near future.

Broasted chicken and pizza are the restaurant's specialties, she said, adding that the blend of spices the chicken is marinated in makes it especially tasty.

Gionino's pizza continues to be made with "the finer ingredients," Pat said, including dough and sauces made fresh daily on the premises. In addition to traditional pizza with the customer's choice of toppings, Gionino's also offers specialty pizzas, including buffalo chicken, barbecue chicken, deluxe, meat, white, vegetable and Hawaiian pizzas.

The restaurant's pasta dishes -- spaghetti, a penne pasta bake, and lasagna -- also feature freshly made sauces. Buffalo wings are available with hot, barbecue, honey mustard, teriyaki, spicy garlic or sweet-n-spicy sauces.

Gionino's offers tossed, antipasto and grilled-chicken salads, as well as deluxe, meatball, ham and cheese, boneless rib, Philly steak, chicken, and buffalo, barbecue or spicy garlic chicken subs.

Various side dishes and daily specials are also available. Coupon specials can be found on the Web site, www.gioninos.com.

The Minerva Gionino's employs approximately 20 people, some of whom have been with the business since it opened, Pat said.

"It's a family-owned business. People who aren't family, become family," she said, noting that the restaurant has helped some of its employees with the cost of their college textbooks. "We have the best and finest employees."

Gionino's and the Stanleys are very involved in the community, donating pizza each year to the Minerva Relay for Life and providing pizza at a reduced cost to the high-school booster clubs.

"We're very involved with trying to help out with youth," Pat said.

Del is active in Rotary Club, and the Stanleys are currently hosting an exchange student. They also donated time and labor to help renovate the new Minerva Area Chamber of Commerce office.

Gionino's is located at 1145 Alliance Road NW, next to Drug Mart, and can be reached at 330-868-2525.

It is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; and, for the summer, Sunday, 1-9 p.m.