Peace of Pie Pizzeria Offers Customers Stellar Food at Reasonable Prices
By: Christian Shields | Photos by: Ashlee Glen
Through a combination of quality food and family atmosphere, as well as an appreciation of classic rock music, Peace of Pie Pizzeria diligently serves the Altavista community.
Featuring a variety of pizza, salad, sandwiches, and more, the restaurant aims to provide every customer who walks through the door with fantastic food.
Started in 2010 by Donna Hendricks, the restaurant was purchased by Breezy and Lucas Peterson, who by their own admission have done as little as they can to change the small business since their acquisition. This includes adding only one new menu item, the Chicken Bacon Ranch (available as a pizza, sub, or salad), and keeping prices similar to what they have been in the past.
“We have done as little differently as possible, because everything [Hendricks] did was so successful,” Breezy said. “For her, her guiding principles were to love people and love food. That is what we continue to do. First and foremost, we are Christians, so our faith definitely guides all of the decisions that we make. When we love people, we love them as Christ would love them, we just do that with pizza.”
Originally from San Francisco, California, the Petersons first moved to Altavista from Connecticut in 2013 after Lucas completed six years of service in the U.S. Navy. They instantly fell in love with the town and decided that it would be a great place to raise their young children. After several years as faithful customers of Peace of Pie, Breezy and Lucas decided to purchase the place after hearing from a mutual friend that Hendricks was planning to sell the restaurant.
“It’s cool that we get to know people and they get to know us,” Breezy said. “When you buy from a small business, you aren’t throwing money into the corporate void. It literally pays for our kid’s horseback riding lessons and our 17-year-old just bought her first car with the money she earned here. When you come and see us, we are a part of the fabric of Altavista, and we love that.”
The couple recently purchased a two-story building on Main St., providing them with three or four times the amount of space they had at their previous location. This new building also includes an inn on the second floor, offering yet another business opportunity for the family.
While the current focus for the Petersons has been on renovating the pizzeria in the new space, they plan to eventually rebrand the inn to match the restaurant’s musical theme once they rebuild their cash reserves.
Customers entering the restaurant are instantly greeted with a wide range of music memorabilia ranging from vinyl records, homemade coasters, and even Lego models of Volkswagen Beetles. Breezy noted that a lot of this memorabilia was purchased alongside the restaurant, but a large portion is gifts by customers who wanted to add their own personal flair to the restaurant.
“It’s amazing how much it resonates with people, and that comes from our culture,” she said. “It’s very important to us to love people well. It’s not about being nice for a good tip, but we genuinely enjoy people and want them to enjoy the experience and the food.”
When the family purchased Peace of Pie, they were originally hesitant to broadcast the change in leadership, hoping to continue the same level of expertise maintained by the previous ownership.
“For us, it was a point of pride to make it so that no one noticed,” Breezy said. “We didn’t want the quality of food to change, and we didn’t want the quality of the service to change. We actually didn’t ‘out’ ourselves on social media for almost a year. That was a choice that we made because we wanted to see if we could continue with Donna’s standard to honor her. She is one of the coolest people on the planet—if she could do this forever, I’m sure no one would be mad about it. But I’m glad she gets to relax, enjoy her dogs, and be retired.”
Keeping with the family environment, Peace of Pie utilizes an exposed kitchen. Not only does this allow the couple and their older children to remain close while working long hours in the restaurant, but it also allows customers to see firsthand how the food is made. Breezy noted everything on the menu is made in-house, apart from the gluten-free and vegan options (which, Breezy noted, are incredibly tiresome to make by hand) and the chicken wings.
“It’s unique to function like that and it would certainly be cheaper to get things coming in in little pre-sliced cubes and frozen things that have a better shelf life, but we are not willing to compromise on taste and quality,” she said. “It works for people, and we are really glad. If the economy were a little different and we weren’t so successful, then maybe we couldn’t do things the way we do because it is more expensive for us. But it is true to the identity of Peace of Pie, which is good food, made well, by real people. I have the scars from the slicer to prove it. We do everything ourselves.”
Another way Breezy and Lucas maintain this family atmosphere is through selective hiring, ensuring that everyone who joins the Peace of Pie community falls in line with the restaurant’s values and mission. With a workforce composed largely of local high school and college students as well as the couple’s own children, Peace of Pie remains a place where Altavista residents feel comfortable and at home.
Because of the small staff, the Petersons are unable to keep the restaurant open for the same number of hours as other similar restaurants, but Breezy noted that this decision is intentional, so the couple still has time to raise their children.
Customers can visit Peace of the Pie Pizzeria, located at 534 Main St., Wednesday-Saturday from 12-8 p.m. They can also keep up with the restaurant by following them on Facebook.
