Since opening Parkway Pizza off Metro Parkway in south Fort Myers in May, Brandee Newcomer has been giving her arms a workout.
The Pennsylvania native, who moved to Florida with her husband five years ago, hand-tosses the pizzas she serves.
And it’s hard work.
“We had a fundraiser the other week, and just for that order we had 29 pizzas,” Newcomer said.
“Our arms were tired after that.”
Newcomer has worked in restaurants her whole life, but Parkway Pizza is the first one she’s owned. Among her family and friends, she’s famous for her baked goods — pies, cookies and truffles.
“We were actually looking for a bakery, and then the pizzeria came up,” she said.
“So, we decided to give that a shot.”
Despite knowing little about pizza, Newcomer proved to be a natural at it. She developed her own recipes and learned the nuances of tossing dough from Parkway's Cheney Brothers representative. Now, Newcomer's pizzeria draws lunch customers from the surrounding Metro Parkway area and families who want to stop in for a hearty meal.
Newcomer is known for her generosity. She loads her pizzas up with extra toppings, which make them a huge hit. Customers love the Carnivore Lover pizza, which comes with pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon and meatballs. Parkway's Supreme with pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, olives and green peppers is another favorite, as is the classic Margherita.
The shop also serves salads, subs, cheesesteaks, strombolis and calzones, plus breakfast sandwiches that are available all day. For customers with a sweet tooth, Newcomer has special treat — her homemade cookies.
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“Big Ass Cookies is what we call them,” she said.
“You got to have some fun, right?”
She’s thinking of adding pumpkin whoopie pies to her lineup for the fall.
“They’re a Pennsylvania Dutch thing,” she said. “They’re huge up north.”
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Like many first-time restaurant owners, Newcomer is finding that having her own place is a ton of work — but totally worth it.
“It’s very rewarding and exhausting all at the same time,” she said.
“I really enjoy interacting with the customers. I know a lot of their names, and they’ll talk to me for five to 10 minutes while I’m making their pizza.”
The pizzeria is busiest between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when people from the nearby business and industrial parks come through for lunch. But Newcomer sees plenty of couples with children, as well.
“A lot of customers say it feels like family when they come in. We interact with them — it’s not just throwing food at them and getting them out the door," Newcomer said.
"I think that’s important. Everybody likes to go where people know your name.”
Off the Eaten Path profiles independent, locally owned restaurants and bars throughout Southwest Florida. Send ideas to taste@news-press.com.
Artis Henderson is a freelance writer and author, her first book earned a New York Times Editors’ Choice; find her at artishenderson.com and on Twitter.
Parkway Pizza
Where: 12541 Metro Parkway, south Fort Myers
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
Prices: Most pizzas $10-$19, subs $7-$10, cookies $2
Call: 239-672-8345
More: fortmyerspizzarestaurant.com
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