Right next to Fiddlehead Brewing Company in Shelburne, Vermont, sits a pizzeria that sold just eight pizzas on its very first day. 🍕
Folino’s Pizza opened on March 14, 2012, founded by the Koerner family and built entirely around naturally leavened, wood-fired sourdough crust.
What started as a painfully slow opening day has grown into one of Vermont’s most beloved pizza institutions.
How Folino’s Pizza won Shelburne’s hearts
Folino’s is a genuine family operation, owned by John Koerner and his wife Carol, both of Charlotte, Vermont, alongside their son Buddy and daughter-in-law Sayuri.
The original location opened on Route 7 in Shelburne, sharing a complex with Fiddlehead Brewing Company, a pairing that turned out to be pure serendipity for both businesses.
Business started painfully slow, with the Shelburne location selling just eight pizzas on opening day back in March 2012.
It took nearly two full years before Folino’s finally sold more than 200 pizzas in a single day, a milestone that speaks to just how gradually the restaurant built its reputation in the beginning.
That slow build paid off in a big way, and the Koerner family eventually expanded Folino’s to a second location in Burlington in January 2018, taking over a former funeral parlor on South Union Street.
Folino’s has since expanded further, now operating locations in Shelburne, Burlington, Williston, and Northfield, all built around the same core philosophy: naturally leavened sourdough dough, cooked at 650 to 700 degrees, with no added yeast.
Both the original Shelburne and Burlington locations remain BYOB, letting diners pair their pizza with a beer from next-door Fiddlehead Brewing or a bottle brought from home.
More than a decade after that quiet eight-pizza opening day, Folino’s remains one of Vermont’s most talked-about wood-fired pizza destinations, proof that a genuinely great crust and a patient family can build something that eventually takes off.
Food Highlights
- Fire Kracker Shrimp: Chipotle-marinated shrimp piled onto an olive oil base with a three-cheese blend, garlic, arugula, and red onions. 🍤
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Leeky Chicken: A white pizza topped with cheese, buffalo chicken, bacon, leeks, and a ranch drizzle. 🍗
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Fungi: An olive oil base topped with a three-cheese blend, caramelized onions, sautéed button and shiitake mushrooms, parsley, Grana Padano, and truffle oil.
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Surf and Turf: A seasonal white pizza with a four-cheese blend, scallops, bacon, parsley, and lemon zest, a rich combination that pairs seafood with smoky bacon.
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Truffle Pig: An olive oil base with a three-cheese blend, asparagus, bacon, and truffle oil, a savory pie built for truffle lovers. 🍄
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Pepperoni: A classic red sauce base topped with mozzarella and a generous layer of pepperoni. 🍕
- Hawaiian: Loaded with bacon, pineapple, and mozzarella.
- Buff Chick: Folino’s take on the crowd-pleasing buffalo chicken pizza. 🌶️
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The Meatza: A meat-forward specialty pizza loaded with multiple cured and cooked meats.
Atmosphere
Folino’s keeps things casual and communal, sharing its Shelburne complex directly with Fiddlehead Brewing Company next door. 🍺
The BYOB setup lets diners bring their own drinks or grab a chilled pint glass to enjoy a beer from the neighboring brewery alongside their pizza.
The space stays unfussy and family-friendly, built around quick counter ordering and a laid-back, pizza-joint energy.
It’s the kind of place where a slice at lunch turns into a full pie with friends after work. 🔥
Bottom Line
Visit for naturally leavened sourdough crust cooked at nearly 700 degrees, inventive specialty pies like the Fire Kracker Shrimp and Truffle Pig, a true family-run business now more than a decade strong, the option to pair your pizza with a fresh Fiddlehead beer, and proof that this legendary Vermont pizzeria earned its reputation the slow way. 🍕
Address:
6305 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, VT 05482
📞 (802) 881-8822
🕔 Open Sun-Thu 11 AM–8 PM, Fri-Sat 11 AM–9 PM