Kyle Pizza Co.: From Humble Beginnings to a Kyle Classic
In 1998, a little pizzeria called Pizza Classics opened on Center St. in Kyle, Texas. The original owner had just sold his San Marcos location and decided to revive a closed Blanco River Pizza in Kyle, rebranding it as Pizza Classics. In May of 2004, I (Billy) joined the team as a delivery driver right after graduation from Hays High School thanks to a friend’s recommendation. Little did I know, this job would lead me on a journey I could never have anticipated. I worked my way up over the next few years, becoming an Assistant Manager and eventually in 2007, Manager. Just as I reached this milestone, the original location shut down when the building was sold. But we weren’t finished yet. Six months later, we reopened on Front St. ready to try again.
A Leap into Co-Ownership
In 2009 the pizzeria hit a crossroads: we needed an investor to keep going or we were going to shut down. It was a risk, but I decided to invest and become co-owner. Times were tough though; our small shop struggled, and we worked long hours for almost no pay. But together my partner and I kept things running, each of us doing what we could to keep the doors open.
The Journey of Full Ownership
In May 2011 I graduated college and in August I bought out my partner to become the sole owner. Those were challenging years working endless hours earning barely enough income to get by. For a time I was even without a home, scraping by until I could afford a room in a shared house in Kyle. I had our first website built, began developing the brand and implemented a point-of-sale system. I also experimented with the menu by adding new items to reflect our customers’ tastes. Through it all, I saved every penny to reinvest in the shop and to propose to my girlfriend, Mariah. (She said “Yes!”)
Our Journey Together
Mariah and I married in 2014 and until she found a job in her field, she worked at the shop with me. Working together, she answered phones and made deliveries while I cooked to keep the operation going. Those were still long, hard days, but we slowly started to turn things around.
Adjusting to a New Phase
Mariah found a job in her field in 2016 and from then on, she only helped during the busiest shifts. With her support, I began reshaping our work-life balance. We started closing on Mondays in 2017, giving us one day off each week–a luxury most people take for granted, but a rarity in the restaurant industry. We eventually cut lunch service on weekdays, realizing it wasn’t sustainable. However, as Kyle grew so did our competition, but we kept adapting and in 2019 we introduced online ordering. When COVID hit in 2020, we were already optimized for pickup and delivery allowing us to meet increased demand while so many other businesses struggled.
In 2022 we started closing on Sundays, giving ourselves and our team a well-deserved break each weekend. Kyle is booming, and as more pizza places spring up, competition remains a challenge.
Rebranding and New Beginnings
January 2024 marked a significant shift at the shop. To better connect with Kyle’s ever-growing population, we officially rebranded as “Kyle Pizza Co.” Now, anyone searching online for pizza in Kyle would know exactly where to find the original Mom and Pop pizza shop. A month later we gained an unexpected addition: a sweet stray kitten we found outside the shop. We adopted him and “Pizza” quickly became our shop’s beloved mascot and member of our family.
From driver to owner, from struggling to surviving, our story is one of persistence, adaptation, and family. Kyle Pizza Co. isn’t just a pizzeria; it’s the heart of a journey filled with challenges and triumphs, fueled by our dedication to our product and the customers we serve. In short, it’s my life’s work. So from our family to yours, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL PIZZERIA! We look forward to many more years of serving the people of Kyle.
