Antico Casa began years before its first Costco freezer placement. Giovanni Di Palma spent more than a decade working on a version of Antico Pizza Napoletana that could be frozen, finished at home, and still carry the character of the pizza he had built his Atlanta restaurant around.
By September 2026, that long-running experiment had become a regional retail business. Antico Casa had reached Costco stores across seven Southeast states, sold roughly half a million pizzas since its January launch, and added a second production line to support growing demand.
More Than a Decade Went Into the Frozen Pizza
Di Palma developed the frozen concept through years of testing in Atlanta, including work in a West Midtown space that became a laboratory for the project. Dough, freezing, reheating, and the demands of a home oven all had to be considered before Antico Casa was ready for a much larger audience.
The long development period gave the project time to become its own format rather than a restaurant pizza simply transferred into a box. Antico’s identity had to survive the journey from pizzeria preparation to a product people could finish in their own kitchens.
The Pandemic Brought the Home Format Forward
The project took on new relevance when restaurant dining changed during the pandemic. Di Palma began getting pizzas into the hands of private customers, creating an early opportunity to see how the concept performed outside Antico Pizza Napoletana.
That period helped move the frozen idea beyond experimentation. A product originally developed over years of testing now had a practical role: bringing Antico pizza into homes when the restaurant itself was no longer the only setting that mattered.
Costco Changed the Scale
Antico Casa entered Costco during the final week of January 2026, launching in more than 80 warehouses across five Southeast states. The move put the Margherita two-pack in front of shoppers far beyond Antico Pizza Napoletana’s Atlanta dining room.
The shift was substantial. Instead of reaching customers through restaurant visits or individual orders, Antico Casa was now supplying a regional warehouse network with frozen pizza built for regular home use.
Costco also gave the brand a new kind of visibility. Antico could meet shoppers during an ordinary grocery trip while keeping the restaurant heritage and Giovanni Di Palma’s pizza identity attached to the product.
Five States Became Seven
The retail footprint continued to grow after the initial launch. By September 2026, Antico Casa had expanded across Costco stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.
The two additional states widened the brand’s Southeast presence within months of the January debut. Antico Casa was no longer simply testing whether a restaurant-rooted frozen pizza could find an audience; it was building a recognizable regional footprint.
That growth also gives the brand a broader identity than its Atlanta beginnings alone. The story still starts with Antico Pizza Napoletana, but more people can now encounter Antico Casa without ever having visited the restaurant.
Half a Million Pizzas Put Pressure on Production
By early September, Antico Casa had sold roughly half a million pizzas since entering Costco. That level of demand required more than additional warehouse placements; it required more capacity behind the product.
The business responded by adding a second production line. For a project that had spent years in small-scale development, the move marked a significant transition from experimentation to sustained retail production.
The milestone also gives Antico Casa’s growth a concrete measure. A wider map is one sign of expansion, but hundreds of thousands of pizzas moving through the business show how quickly the operation itself had to change.
Houston Tested Interest Beyond the Core Region
A Costco roadshow in Houston offered another glimpse of how Antico Casa might travel beyond its established Southeast footprint. The event ended early after the available pizza inventory sold through.
Texas was not part of the permanent seven-state Costco footprint reported in September, so the roadshow stands apart from Antico Casa’s regular regional distribution. Its significance comes from giving the brand a live test in a market outside the core rollout.
For a business that began as an Atlanta experiment, that kind of reception carries its own weight. Antico Casa could attract shoppers beyond the states where its frozen pizzas had already established a regular Costco presence.
Growth Is Showing Up in More Than Geography
Retail expansion has been accompanied by changes inside the business. Antico Casa has increased production capacity and begun extending the frozen range beyond its original Margherita.
San Gennaro became the second pizza introduced into the line in 2026, adding another Antico recipe to the at-home format. Its arrival supports the larger growth story without changing what established the brand in the first place: adapting pizzas rooted in the Antico food world for people to enjoy at home.
Antico Casa Growth at a Glance
- More than a decade before launch: Giovanni Di Palma develops and tests the frozen-pizza concept in Atlanta.
- During the pandemic: At-home pizza becomes a more immediate way to bring Antico beyond the restaurant.
- January 2026: Antico Casa launches in more than 80 Costco stores across five Southeast states.
- August 2026: A Houston Costco roadshow sells through its available inventory.
- By September 2026: The Costco footprint reaches seven Southeast states, and roughly half a million pizzas have been sold.
- 2026: Antico Casa adds a second production line and expands the frozen range beyond Margherita.
Together, those milestones trace a fast retail rise built on a much slower development process. Antico Casa spent years getting the format ready before its first major launch, then scaled rapidly once the pizzas reached Costco shoppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Antico Casa launch at Costco?
Antico Casa launched in more than 80 Costco stores during the final week of January 2026. The initial rollout covered five Southeast states before the footprint expanded later in the year.
Which states are part of the Antico Casa Costco footprint?
As of September 2026, Antico Casa had expanded across Costco stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.
How did Antico Casa begin?
Antico Casa grew from more than a decade of frozen-pizza development led by Giovanni Di Palma in Atlanta. The work focused on creating an at-home format that could carry Antico Pizza Napoletana beyond the restaurant.
How many pizzas has Antico Casa sold?
By early September 2026, Antico Casa had sold roughly half a million pizzas since its January Costco launch. The increase in volume also led the business to add a second production line.
Why did Antico Casa add another production line?
Antico Casa added a second production line as retail demand and production volume increased. The additional capacity reflects the scale the business reached after expanding through Costco.
From Atlanta Experiment to Regional Momentum
Antico Casa’s rapid retail growth rests on years of work that happened before shoppers ever saw the box. What began as Di Palma’s long-running Atlanta experiment now supports Costco distribution across seven Southeast states, greater production capacity, and an expanding at-home pizza line.
Follow Antico Casa on Instagram for current pizza releases, Costco appearances, and updates as the at-home line continues to grow.
