Sal Lupoli Jr. grew up in the pizza business. As a kid, he’d fold boxes in the Sal’s Pizza shops his father, Sal Lupoli Sr., started in 1990. At night, he’d sit around the dinner table talking shop. He was fascinated by business from an early age and earned his bachelor’s degree at Bentley University, where he studied management and entrepreneurship. Before he joined his father’s enterprise full-time, however, he took a bit of a detour. A gifted athlete, Lupoli first pursued a football career. He played at Bentley, then professionally for the Indoor Football League’s Massachusetts Pirates. The New England Patriots even called him up briefly, though he was released before the season began.
All the while, however, Lupoli was working on his master’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in leadership, balancing sports and studying. So when he stepped away from football, he was ready to hit the ground running at Lupoli Companies, which today includes the original pizza shops as well as hospitality and real estate development businesses.
Next Wave 2026 · Sal Lupoli Jr.
Sal Lupoli Jr. is part of Northshore’s Next Wave 2026, spotlighting 14 leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives helping shape what comes next for the region.
From the Football Field to the Family Business
“I always knew after football was done, I wanted to go into family business and not work for anybody else,” he says. “When you’re a guy who’s always battling adversity on the football field to try to make it to the NFL, you learn incredible lessons.”
In his role as senior director of Sal’s Pizza, Lupoli has a simple goal: “It’s really just about taking our company to the next level.”
Growing Sal’s Pizza
To that end, he has made sure to spend plenty of time working in the pizza shops, learning the daily ins and outs of the operation. He wants to make sure he knows all there is to know about the business and show employees that he both respects and understands the work they do.
He aims to increase sales and expand the number of locations while cementing the company’s reputation for value and quality. The company recently upgraded many of its toppings to even higher-quality products, opened new locations, and struck a partnership with iconic Kelly’s Roast Beef in Revere. Sales are up 16 percent year over year, despite a downturn in the wider pizza industry, Lupoli says. One day, he says, he hopes to make Sal’s Pizza, which now has more than 130 locations in New England and Florida, a national brand.
“My focus is every day improving strategy, improving systems, improving the way we do things in general,” he says.
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Discover the leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives bringing fresh ideas to the North Shore, from restaurants and retail to museums, music, and community philanthropy.
Join Us for the Next Wave Event
Join Northshore for the Next Wave event on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. aboard Beauport Cruiseline in Gloucester. Enjoy live music and local bites on Gloucester Harbor as we celebrate the people and ideas shaping the North Shore. Reserve your tickets and join us on the water.