Pistons & Pizza Makes its Debut At PizzaCo Pizza Garage

PizzaCo Pizza Garage: The Perfect Location

Last week, on a warm summer evening, the Piston Foundation held its first Pistons & Pizza event at PizzaCo Pizza Garage in Stratford, Connecticut. The night was hosted by PizzaCo owner, Jordan Bochanis, and next-door’s Jimmy Repasi, owner of Repasi Motorwerks, who invited a few dozen of their friends to enjoy a fun night of pizza, car talk, and support for skilled trade education.

View a Photo Gallery of the Event

“As a long time car collector and someone who has had relationships with restorers for many years, I’ve seen first-hand the need for a new generation of talented technicians to care for collector/vintage cars,” Jordan said when asked about being an event host. “The Foundation’s mission struck a personal cord with me and I wanted to get involved in some way.” 

As Jordan said, his restaurant was perfect for the first event. “When I learned about the idea of a Pistons & Pizza event, I couldn’t believe the synergies since I’m involved with a pizza business that happens to be housed in a vintage gas station—in a neighborhood full of restoration shops!”

Guests parked their classic cars out front to create a Stratford Ave car show. PizzaCo served their delicious brick oven pizza and famous meatballs to accompany local craft beers from Two Roads Brewing, who also call Stratford Ave their home.

Repasi Motorwerks Brought The Mission Into Focus

Peter Bush, who many people know as the host of Caffeine & Carburetors, was the MC for the night and kept the car talk flowing. Jeff Mason, President of the Foundation, announced the Piston Fund 2022 scholarship recipients and Jimmy Repasi spoke about the importance of his own tech school education. Jeff announced the Foundation’s goal to award 50 automotive education scholarships in 2023, which brought out numerous donation pledges from the attendees.

After the presentation, guests headed next door for a tour of Repasi Motorwerks, which specializes in maintaining Porsche Carreras. Visiting a working shop brought the Piston Foundation mission into sharp focus. Helping today’s craftspeople teach their skills to a new generation and bringing young technicians into the trade is essential to the future of the collector car industry.

A Great Night for Our Local Car Community

“Pistons and Pizza was a fantastic experience,” Jordan reflected after the event. “It was great to see people come out for a worthwhile cause, bring their cars and help to create the perfect setting for an event like this. I got to catch up with fellow car enthusiasts, friends and family and see how the local restoration community came out to support us while witnessing first-hand how contagious the passion for this foundation is!”

It was great to see people come out for a worthwhile cause, bring their cars and help to create the perfect setting for an event like this.

“Lastly, the Foundation really made this a turn-key event for us. From planning the logistics to set-up and take down, their people took care of every detail to ensure its success, which shows how well-run an organization they are. They are truly firing on all cylinders!”

A Big Thanks To Our Hosts

The Piston Foundation could not do its work without the support of collectors like Jordan Bochanis and technicians like Jimmy Repasi. They, along with all our car enthusiast donors, are helping us create the education and career opportunities that young restoration technicians need.

If you’d like to host a Pistons & Pizza event, contact us to learn more and please consider making a donation to support our scholarship and apprenticeship programs.