Paul De Leon could be opening an authentic Mexican restaurant in Wisconsin right now, but thanks to a chance meeting while shopping for a truck to take him there, his plans changed.
“The sales guy had a long experience with pizza,” says De Leon. “He had a really good pizza recipe, and he asked me if I was interested in opening a restaurant with him.”
That’s how De Leon and Bill Grantham began their working relationship, which will result in the opening of
Opie’s Pizza on Chandler Road in Bath Township later this month.
“We’re about 96 percent ready,” De Leon says. “We had to make a pizza place out of a room with just four walls. We had to make the kitchen and dining room and bathrooms. It was a lot of work.”
De Leon and Grantham hope all that work will be worthwhile when they open their doors on January 23. The 1,800 square foot restaurant will include a full bar and will employ 11 workers upon opening.
The business partners hope to expand Opie’s Pizza into a franchise, beginning with future locations in
Old Town and Grand Ledge.
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