Pizzas drawing a crowd

Brick ovens provide a different twist to popular food

Amy Griffiths admits it’s often an eclectic mix of transport that lunch customers use to get to her new business, Jim Bob’s Pizza in Sydport.

“We laughed today because we get everything from fourwheelers, motorcycles, tractors, lawnmowers, dumptrucks, flatbeds,” she said in an interview. “It’s kind of funny sometimes what our parking lot looks like.”

But it’s the nature of the area that drew Griffiths and her boyfriend Ryan Rudderham, who is an experienced pizza cook and serves as manager, to open the business in Sydport about two months ago.

With the number of businesses located in the Point Edward/Westmount area, Griffiths said she saw a niche — particularly at lunch — she believed they could fill from their location at 114 Marine Dr.

“We figured with over 50 businesses at Sydport we would definitely have the clientele,” Griffiths said. “It’s really busy.”

Initially, they intended to open a storefront but saw the truck for sale online. They produce their product using four brick ovens and are currently in the midst of converting the truck so they can operate throughout the year, with the exception of storm days.

They maintain hours similar to most pizza shops, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday to Friday, and evenings on the weekends.

The business is named Jim Bob’s after Griffith’s father, who helped with the financing.

Word is getting out about the food, which is cooked in four brick ovens, Griffiths said.

“Our crust is more on the thin side, but it’s really crunchy, so people are liking that,” she said.

Griffiths noted that many larger pizza shops are so busy they must rely on conveyors in order to keep up with demand.

“Because we’re a smaller shop we went with the brick ovens and people are really liking it,” she said. “The response has been great and sometimes shocking because we’ve had people come over from like Bras d’Or, Glace Bay and Whitney Pier to try our pizza.”

More information about the business, as well as its menu, go to its Facebook page.

CAPE BRETON POST PHOTO Amy Griffiths, from left, Jimmy Griffiths, Ryan Rudderham and Archie Williams are serving up hot pizzas and oven baked subs from their new pizza truck, Jim Bob’s Pizza, at the Sydport industrial park.