From left, Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson, owner Dritan Balanca and city Councilman Rick Schontz attend the opening Monday of Tani's Pizza on Mercer Street.

Dritan Balanca said he picked the former Stanley’s Bakery on Mercer Street as the location of his first restaurant because he likes the history of the building and the welcoming he has received from the people in the neighborhood.

Called Tani’s Pizza, the restaurant opened Monday to more than a dozen family members, friends and city officials.

Balanca, called Tani by his friends, has spent his career working in Italian restaurants, and he brings that type of food selection to the new site. On the menu are salads, Stromboli and specialty pizzas.

The restaurant, which offers takeout and sit down service, is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

“Everybody knows this place,” Balanca said of the building. “I know it will do good. It’s my pleasure to be here.”