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The article below was found on...
www.ToledoFreePress.Com
Andrew Z opens
Sportz Pizzeria in Levis Commons
Written by Alissa Romstadt |
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news@toledofreepress.com
Andrew Zepeda is best known for dishing on
the radio, so it may not surprise people
that he has always wanted to be in the
restaurant business.
Zepeda has made a name for himself in Toledo
from his radio show “Andrew Z in the
Morning” on 92.5 KISS FM and as the Lucas
County Commissioners’ “weight-loss czar.”
When looking for a location for Andrew Z’s
Sportz Pizzeria, Zepeda said he focused on
three areas: Downtown, by Westfield Mall and
Levis Commons.
Andrew Z
Photo
courtesy of the Toledo Free Press
“We’re going to be a destination location,”
he said. “There’re going to be listeners
from all over and I want them to be able to
find the place very easily.”
He settled on Levis Commons, where he saw
need for a pizzeria and a sports bar.
“I think it was a hole in the market,” he
said. “BW3s or Jed’s focus around chicken
and sports. There haven’t been any places
that focus around pizza and sports.”
Zepeda recruited business partners Demetrius
Nicodemus, from Andrew Z in the Morning, and
his uncle Paul Zepeda from San Antonio.
“I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant,”
Nicodemus said.
Head Chef Dave Guevara is also from San
Antonio. He has created the items on the
menu, including the restaurant’s original
“Glass City Style” pizza.
“A friend of mine who was from Chicago was
always talking about deep dish pizza,”
Guevara said. “And I’ve never had a deep
dish; I’m from San Antonio. I thought ‘You
know, it would be nice if I made a medium
dish pizza.’”
Zepeda said the crust is not thick or thin,
but the edges of the crust are high, almost
deep dish. “It’s something that we’ve never
really seen done anywhere, but it’s
phenomenal, and we hope it takes off.”
As “weight-loss czar,” Zepeda has lost 110
in less than two years and takes his
responsibilities seriously, he said.
The menu offers pizza, salads and sandwiches
starred as “czar friendly.”
“That’s a tough thing about this. You’ve got
to try it all, especially this, where the
food is so good,” Zepeda said. “I definitely
made sure we had things that were low fat.”
From the pizza crust to marinara sauce, menu
items from scratch with fresh ingredients,
Guevara said.
Quality of menu items is very important,
Zepeda said.
“I made sure that the product is
phenomenal,” he said. “People will try it
out because of who you are, but they won’t
keep coming back. So, I’d honestly put any
of our pizzas or whatever you try up against
anybody’s.”
Another thing Zepeda is careful about is
using his radio show for free advertising.
“I won’t say, ‘Yeah, it’s 48 degrees here, I
wonder what the temperature is down at the
pizza place.’ I try to only mention it when
it makes sense,” he said.
Andrew Z’s Sportz Pizzeria will host its
grand opening celebration Oct. 2 and 3 from
11 a.m. to 2 a.m. each day.
“It’s been amazing how supportive the
business community has been,” he said. “It’s
been overwhelming to see that.” |
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