Henry Lam used to be a student at Temple University. In 2023, he opened up a new restaurant, Hank’s, in the 12th street food court on campus. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he worked in the corporate sector for a while before choosing to open up his restaurant. He says he has more free time, and he now has a more balanced life. He’s now rubbing elbows with veterans of the Temple food service industry over at Richie’s, Orient Express, and Fame’s Famous Pizza. He used to eat their food, but now he’s working with them to help the restaurants on the wall grow.
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Meet Jim Amzovski
Jim Amzovski, with his brother Feim, have been operating Fame’s Famous Pizza since 1985. Born in Philadelphia to Macedonian immigrants, Jim grew up helping his parents operate a hot dog cart down in Center City. After their father passed away, they inherited the family business. They purchased a food truck and moved over to the Temple area. They brought with them their mother’s recipe and were the first original pizza place to offer fresh made pizza, not frozen.
The Amzovski brothers were eventually invited to make their business more permanent, and in 1994 they moved into the 12th Street food court. The food court was on the edge of main campus in the 1990s, and attracting clientele to the outskirts was challenging for the brothers at first. As campus was built around them, Fame’s popularity grew.
The Amzovski brothers have operated Fame’s through different administrations, changing campus culture, and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As a veteran institution, Jim says he values his relationship with Temple students. He is also considering retiring soon. Listen to Jim’s oral history interview below.