Photo by Nicole Roegner

As Oregano’s celebrates 15 years in the Valley, it’s also preparing to go public. But would a national expansion turn the popular pizza place into another mediocre chain? Not hardly, says founder Mark Russell.

It’s the beginning of the evening shift at one of Old Town’s most popular restaurants, and waitresses hurriedly prepare their sections for the impending onslaught.
Glasses are stocked. Silverware is rolled. Ice bins are filled. There’s not much time to dawdle. 
It’s 4:45 in the afternoon, and within the hour there’ll be a wait. By the end of the night, the wait could last more than an hour. And it’s a Tuesday.
This is not Scottsdale’s newest flavor of the month. Oregano’s Pizza Bistro will celebrate its 15th anniversary in November. And thanks to its upcoming merger with Restaurant Acquisition Partners of Florida, it could be the next Scottsdale restaurant – following P.F. Chang’s, Kona Grill, Ra Sushi and others – to turn an infusion of capital into a national expansion.
“One day I would love for everyone to experience Oregano’s,” says founder Mark Russell, who oversees eight locations, including two in Scottsdale. “We’ll grow one store at a time. If we can’t accomplish what we have at the first eight, then we won’t grow. But we feel we can accomplish it.”
Known for long lines and cheeky ad campaigns, Oregano’s has been slinging Chicago-style pizzas, pasta dishes and The Original Pizza Cookie desserts since opening in Old Town Scottsdale on November 18, 1993.
Within six months, Oregano’s had its first wait. Within a year, it had expanded to its second location in downtown Tempe. Since then, Oregano’s has sprung up in a new neighborhood every other year.
Russell, a former flight attendant who opened Oregano’s as a tribute to his late parents, credits the concept’s success to a three-pronged “recipe” based on quality food at reasonable prices, a nostalgic atmosphere stuck in 1940s Chicago and an intense commitment to customer service. 
Valley restaurant veteran Richard Lipson, a former executive with Garcia’s of Scottsdale and El Pollo Asado and founder of Julio G’s, says Oregano’s has a recipe for success.
“The Oregano’s concept will work anywhere,” Lipson says. “I’m a firm believer in that.”