daVinci's: Restaurant: History

"We attribute our success to strong family ownership, high Christian values, a warm atmosphere, and the caring, friendly people we carefully select to work in the restaurants."

We are daVinci's, the Italian Sidewalk Caffe restaurant chain. Like the painter Leonardo daVinci, we strive for excellence in everything -- our food, our restaurant environments, and our service to our customers and community. It's been the philosophy the Knudson family has shared since we opened our first restaurant in 1978.

The family that makes pizzas together, stays together.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Kal Knudson, a husband, a father of six, and an ordained minister. In 1977, after our fourth child moved away from home, my wife Darlene and I decided we needed something to bring us back together and give us a common goal. My own experience of being raised on a South Dakota farm gave me an appreciation of the strength of families who work together. So one day we called our children and asked them to come home and help set up a family business. Since owning a restaurant had been a childhood dream of mine, we chose the restaurant business.

To turn this dream into a reality required many sacrifices. I took a leave of absence from my church, Darlene gave up her teaching career, and our sons Kent and Kevin left jobs in Illinois. After intense restaurant training and experience at two other eateries, the Knudson family opened our first restaurant in April of 1978 -- Pontillo's Pizzeria, located at 13th and Q in downtown Lincoln. We did most of the remodeling and mechanical construction ourselves, turning the little building into a comfortable place to visit.

Pontillo's Pizzeria was the beginning of a growing restaurant business that would provide not only an occupational livelihood for our family, but a source of unity as well.

Some Honors & Awards:

1995 Restaurateur of the Year presented by the Nebraska Restaurant Association

1997 Salt & Light Award from the Nebraska Family Council for "Family of the Year"

Christian Benchmark Award for Excellence in Service to God & Community given to Kal by the International Fellowship of Christian Businessmen

1998 Cornerstone Award from the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce given to a business for their entrepreneurship & skillful endeavor which has added to the economic base of our community & provide opportunity for others to work & live in Lincoln.

2000 The Better Business Bureau Integrity Award for outstanding commitment to ethical business practices & high standards of behavior in relationships with employees consumers, suppliers, shareholders & the community.

2001 Pizza Today a national pizza industry magazine recognized daVinci's as a leader in the country as a Pizza Pacesetter

2000 & '02 The Good Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association.

"Thanks to tremendous customer loyalty, dedicated staff, and Family commitment, our restaurant business grew."

Here are some highlights of our story:

1978
Our first restaurant, Pontillo's Pizzeria, opens at 13th & Q in Lincoln. The menu features New York Style pizza and hot hoagies.

1981
Our second restaurant, Knudson's House of Hoagies, opens at 44th & O in Lincoln. The menu is similar to Pontillo's, with the addition of several other items including our famous Cheese Steak Hoagies.

1983
Knudson's House of Hoagies changes its name to daVinci's. Our second daVinci's opens in Campus Town, 2514 Chamberlain, at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

1984
Our third daVinci's opens at 4120 S. 48th in Lincoln. Homemade pasta and sauces is added to the menu. The Knudson Family also starts Free Easter Dinner for those people with lower incomes or who may be alone.

1986
Our fourth daVinci's opens at 11th & G in Lincoln.

1987
Our fifth daVinci's opens at 14th & Superior in Lincoln.

1989
Our original restaurant, Pontillo's Pizzeria, changes its name to daVinci's.

1991
Our sixth daVinci's opens at 66th & O in Lincoln to include meeting spaces for groups.

1994
Our original restaurant on 13th & Q is closed by UNL by right of eminent domain.

1997
daVinci's moves down the street from 14th & Superior and opens at 27th & Superior with a new Italian Sidewalk Caffe interior and decor.

1998
Remodeled all restaurants to the Italian Sidewalk Caffe decor and theme. The entire menu is placed on daVinci's first website. daVinci's Pizza & Fun Food opens at Champions Fun Center with catering facilities for up to 1200.

2000
Our seventh daVinci's opens at 29th & Pine Lake Road in Lincoln. daVinci's also launches the first successful online ordering system for delivery and carryout in the region.

2001
daVinci's opens inside Howard Johnson at 5250 Cornhusker in Lincoln with banquet facilities for up to 300. The Knudson Family also purchases Champions Fun Center emphasizing strong Christian values and a safe place for kids and families to go in a smoke & alcohol free environment. The center features go-karts, an outdoor miniature golf course, bowling with a cosmic atmosphere, batting cages, a 3-story adventure challenge climbing maze, over 65 arcade games and daVinci's Pizza and Fun Food concessions. We also focus on group parties of all sizes and celebrating lots and lots of birthdays.

2003
daVinci's is celebrating 25 years of expanded menu options and extraordinary service to its loyal customers and communities. To kick off the celebration, daVinci's is launching their newly designed website with easier online ordering and group ordering capabilities.