Community Highlights: Meet Steven Kingery of Waldo Pizza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Kingery.

Hi Steven, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Waldo Pizza has been around since 1988. Phil Bourne became the owner in 1993. I bought the restaurant from him in July 2020. I started working for Waldo Pizza in late 2000 in high school. I started as a dishwasher. I then moved to working other positions in the kitchen. I was a server for a short period. I was also a delivery driver at one point. I started managing in 2012. I became the General Manager in 2014. I worked alongside Phil up to 2020, when I bought it. Phil stays a couple of days a week doing delivery, driving, or helping customers at the front counter. It’s always nice to have him around so I have someone to bounce ideas off of. I learned so much from him over the 6 years of sharing an office with Phil. He’s been such a great mentor. I feel fortunate to learn from someone who is genuinely kind and understanding.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Taking over during the pandemic was a challenge. There was not a blueprint of how to do things. There also needed to be an idea of how long the restrictions would be in place. We also had yet to learn how long it would affect people’s willingness to dine out again. Most of our business before the pandemic was focused on the dining room business. Once the pandemic hit, we had no dining room business. We had to shift all our efforts to pick up and deliver. It was easier for us versus other restaurants, considering pick up and delivery was something we already did. It has been a slow transition back to increasing our dining room numbers.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Waldo Pizza?
One of the things I love about Waldo Pizza is how inviting we are. We were recently a finalist for Pitch’s best family restaurant. I have been here long enough to see people have their first dates. Then get engaged here. Those same people now bring their kids here and celebrate their big moments with us. Being a neighborhood spot where everyone comes to enjoy the good times (rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, team parties, retirement parties), and people come to remember loved ones who have left us (celebration of life parties). I enjoy that we are a part of so many family traditions.

What changes do you expect to see in your work and the industry over the next five to ten years?
There is no mistake that the delivery and take-out business has increased a lot over the last couple of years. The whole dining experience is on the way back up, though. The number of reservations we receive is increasing. More people are getting together these days than in the past few years. I am also excited to see what new food fads emerge. A couple of years ago, pork belly was all the rage. We’ll see the latest hot item in the next year or two.

Pricing:

• All-you-can-eat buffet 12.99 (includes drink)
• Wednesday Special
• Tuesday Special
• You can view all at waldopizza.net

Contact Info:

• Website: waldopizza.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldo.pizza
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldoPizza/