AN ALBANIAN DREAM
BROTHERS BLEDI AND LANDI KRASNIQI ON THEIR JOURNEY TO AMERICA AND NAPOLI'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Written By: Meghan Reily | Photography By: Meghan Reily September 13, 2018 | meghanholleyreily@gmail.com
Being voted for having the best pizza in Nacogdoches, Napoli's Italian Restaurant has become a popular name around east Texas. Not only does Napoli's have high ratings, but the story of what it has become today is revolutionary.
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Born and raised in Kosovo, Albania, brothers Bledi and Landi Krasniqi grew up watching their grandparents and parents make pizza, in which they found a strong passion for.
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Ever since their youth, Bledi and Landi had the dream of moving to America and opening their own business in the restaurant industry.
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Age ages 17 and 18, the Krasniqi brothers decided to pursue their dream and move to America to work at their Uncle's restaurant in Dallas, Texas.
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"The process of receiving my work visa took about 2 months, so I was very excited for this new chapter in my life." Bledi said.
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In 2005, Bledi and Landi began work at their Uncle's Napoli's Italian Restaurant. "At the time, we did not know if it was possible to eventually have our own Napoli's restaurant," Landi said. "But we continued to work hard to reach our goal."
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Moving from their Albanian culture, to a country where they did not know much English was a challenge. "We not only had to learn how to speak English, but we had to learn to adjust to the American lifestyle." Bledi said.
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After searching all over Texas, they found an ideal location for their second family-owned restaurant, Napoli's. "We chose to open Napoli's in Nacogdoches because it's a college town and it felt very welcoming," Bledi said. "We knew that Nacogdoches was where we wanted to open our restaurant and eventually start a family."
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Today, Napoli's Italian Restaurant has been open since March of 2012, and has become an east Texas favorite for homemade pizzas and pastas.
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"We work every day, all day, but we don't mind it because this is what we have worked our whole lives for," Bledi said. "It has always been our dream to have our own restaurant, and knowing that we accomplished our dream in life makes me so happy."
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In 2017, Bledi and Landi brought to America their wives, along with their brothers, Haxhi Bajraktari and Arsim Shala. Similar to when Bledi and Landi arrived in America, Haxhi and Arsim began to learn the English landuage and work as chefs at Napoli's. "When I came to America I was nervous, but excited." Haxhi said. "I learned English by listening and trying to talk to people that came into Napoli's."
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Bledi said that he hopes to bring more relatives from Albania to America. "Family is everything to us, and we continue to build our family," Bledi said. Bledi has two sons, Olti and Noar, in which he says they are his world. Additionally, Landi has a two-year-old named Gesi, and is expecting a little girl this upcoming October.
Although leaving Albania to start a new life in America was a challenge, Bledi and Landi are proud of the hard work that they've put into being where they are today.
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"This is what I hoped my life would be like living in America. We accomplished our dream in many ways; my brother and I moved across the world and started a business together, brought more of our family to America, and we started a family that continues to grow," Bledi said. "I am very proud that we made our dream come true."