Type of business: Pizza parlor
Hours: Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Location: 1050 W. Monte Vista Ave.
Contact information: 209-634-5000
Specialty: Handmade pizzas
History of Business:
Pizza Factory recently surpassed seven years of serving fresh, handmade pizzas in Turlock, and owner Brent Jonson knows that the recipe for the restaurant’s continued success is in what goes into the oven.
“The menu is a big part of it,” said Jonson. “We have fresh ingredients, and we serve it in a place where people want to come and enjoy it.”
Since opening its doors in November of 2009, Pizza Factory has provided the Turlock community with a spot to enjoy handcrafted pizzas, calzones, pastas and salads in a family-oriented, sports-loving atmosphere. Jonson, who has owned the pizzeria for nearly four years, believes its welcoming environment has also kept customers coming back for more.
“I think that’s the formula - it’s inviting for people to want to come in and stay, and then come back,” he said.
Jonson originally got involved in the pizza business after his old job no longer excited him.
“I was working a regular job and I was tired of it,” he said. “I was looking for a business that I thought would be fun. This came up, and we jumped on it.”
Through Pizza Factory, Jonson has been able to support the Turlock community through a variety of means, including sponsorship of school events, youth sports leagues and other local initiatives to support families in the area. Doing what he can to help the city’s young athletes is a cause that’s especially important to Jonson.
“Any youth sport, I’ll try to get behind it as much as I can,” said Jonson. “I grew up with sports, and some of my best employees come out of team sports because of the team concept. If I can support the sports in the community, then maybe I’ll end up getting really good employees someday that benefitted from that.”
In addition to supporting local organizations, Pizza Factory employees are also advocates for the restaurant's program called “The No Bully Zone,” which is committed to putting an end to bullying in schools and throughout the community.
“It’s meant to create a safe space, and hopefully teach the younger generation that bullying is not something that’s a good thing,” said Jonson. “It teaches them, one, not to be a bully, and two, if you’re in a position to stop someone from being a bully then that’s the right thing to do.”
While the menu at Pizza Factory is filled with a variety of pizzas, the one item that Jonson recommends doesn’t even involve marinara sauce.
“It’s all about preference, but our breadsticks are one of the best items on the menu.”
