Kaitlyn Freiling
While it may seem commonplace now, in 1963 you could not order a combination of pizza and chicken and jojos at restaurants in The 330.
Enter Alfred Ajamie and Walter Abood, best friends looking to open a business together. They recognized an opportunity for a one-stop dining combo and established Fiesta Pizza and Chicken on Newton Street in Goodyear Heights. For the first time, diners could satisfy both cravings at once.
But they didn’t stop there. Al and Walt also claim to have introduced Akronites to jojos — those magical seasoned potato wedges that challenge french fries for the coveted spot beside your meal. They have become a local staple, though out-of-towners seem puzzled by the unfamiliar name.
Al’s son, Terry Ajamie, attests to the story that his dad and Walt brought the idea of pressure cooking lightly breaded wedged potatoes to Akron after learning the technique from a cook in Youngstown. “First, they cut [the potatoes] in fours, and they were way too thick,” Terry says. “They weren’t done in the middle. Eventually, they started cutting them in eights, and they were a whole lot better.”
Fiesta’s take on the side dish ($3.25) is wildly popular and the recipe hasn’t changed in the restaurant’s 55 years of doing business. What makes them so great? “That’s top secret stuff,” says Terry. “We’ve got one special ingredient, and it’s called TLC — tender loving care!”
Legends and secret recipes aside, one thing is certain: The 330 loves jojos. You can order them at virtually every chicken place in the area, and the phrase chicken and jojos is as common as burger and fries.
3 to Try: JoJos
- + Rasicci’s Pizza, Akron
- + Leonardo’s Pizza, Akron and Fairlawn
- + Gionino’s Pizzeria: Canal Fulton, Canton, Green, Munroe Falls, Norton and Ravenna
