Pizza joint is the place to be

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This article was published 21/09/2021 (1505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A popular pizza joint is making a comeback after a 15-year decline.

Pizza Place, which was a well-known staple on the local pizza scene in the 1970s and ’80s but which now has only two locations – on Portage Avenue and in Winnipeg Beach – is now slinging its classic pies from the Fort Rouge Curling Club.

The new Pizza Place outlet is a family-run business.

Stephen Logan, Pizza Place franchiser, has been helping his daughter, Kerri-Lynne, getting the restaurant up and running.

“It’s been crazy and hectic, but it’s been good,” Kerri-Lynne said. “It brings back memories of my childhood.”

Kerri-Lynne said she’s hoping a lot of other families in the area will order from Pizza Place and feel the same sense of nostalgia.

“There’s been a lot of people that are super excited, people I hang out with who’ve heard of it and are going to order all the time,” she said.

Ken Williams was first in line to order from his favourite childhood pizza shop.

“It’s exciting,” Williams said as he awaited his pizza. “It brings back memories, but I’m also looking forward to the new memories I’m going to create.”

Williams is already planning Pizza Wednesdays to enjoy with his family.

“There’s a lot of other pizzerias in the area, but there’s only one Pizza Place,” he said.

Williams is an executive with the Facebook group We are Rougers. Group members support schools, community clubs and host socials and other types of events. Pizza Place reached out to him and invited him to be their first customer.

“The crust and sauce are fresh and it’s not too heavy,” Williams said. “The quality is fantastic, and the pricing is reasonable.”

Williams said his favourite combination is side bacon, double pepperoni, mushroom, extra sauce and extra cheese.

That’s his favourite, but his 29-year-old daughter — who’s been making the trek to the Winnipeg Beach location for decades — prefers the Greek pizza.

Williams’ history with Pizza Place is through enjoyment with his family. As a child, his grandparents used to take him to the location in Grant Park Mall. Ten-year-old Williams would get “so excited.”

Now that he’s an adult, he and his wife make the trek to Winnipeg Beach every Sept. 3 to celebrate her birthday.

“Some people choose a steakhouse, but my wife chooses Pizza Place,” Williams said. “Younger people will now have the opportunity to make the same memories I have with Pizza Place.”

Pizza Place will be on Skip the Dishes, but those interested in ordering in-person can go to the Fort Rouge Curling Club at 750 Daly St.

You can learn more about Pizza Place at www.pizzaplacepizza.ca