Terrific Pizza has ‘roller coaster’ opening year

Doug Westerfield hasn’t had a day off work for six months. “And it might be six more months before I get another day off,” adds Mr. Westerfield, the owner of Terrific Pizza, located at 1627 Washington St., Davenport. Working every day of the week for months at a time is not the greatest burden in […]

Doug Westerfield hasn’t had a day off work for six months. “And it might be six more months before I get another day off,” adds Mr. Westerfield, the owner of Terrific Pizza, located at 1627 Washington St., Davenport. Working every day of the week for months at a time is not the greatest burden in the world for Mr. Westerfield because he loves his job. But with only three people working at Terrific Pizza, he knows this is the price to pay for starting a new business. Terrific Pizza opened a year ago in the former Fat Boys Pizza, and next door to The Meat Market pub at the corner of Washington and 17th streets. It’s not too far from the ultra-busy Five Points intersection in west Davenport. Mr. Westerfield, who is a veteran chef with many years of experience working in other restaurants, recently discussed with the QCBJ his thoughts on his opening year of being the boss. He calls that inaugural year a “roller coaster” with many terrific moments and few downers. Probably heading that list of negative moments came last fall when Mr. Westerfield had kidney surgery and had to close his new business for about two months. Terrific Pizza reopened at the beginning of the year. But since the reopening, the restaurant has been a busy place serving its new customers and through its catering side of the business. “The community likes what we have done here. … I’ve had ex-Fat Boy employees come in here and say ‘Wow, this place has really changed,’” he said. The Terrific Pizza owner added that the new customers especially enjoy the great customer service and the top quality food served. In fact, a few months ago, Terrific Pizza received special recognition for its efforts when it was ranked No. 6 in a Yelp Top 10 list of the best pizza places in the Quad Cities. (LoPiez, also in Davenport, topped that list.)

One reviewer quoted in the Yelp list called Terrific Pizza “a breath of fresh air for the Q-C pizza scene.” Mr. Westerfield said that some of the best-seller items on his menu include BBQ pizza, the supreme pizza and the deep dish selection of pizzas. He said the quality of his pizzas and his customer service are clearly the top features that go into the “what has worked” category for his first year in business. He adds that one of the big changes he made since reopening is to simplify the menu a bit because he doesn’t have the staffing to offer a variety of non-pizza foods. “We are going to focus on pizzas,” he said. Still, he said one of his future goals for his second year is to expand the menu just a little, “but not too much.” That expanded menu may include sub sandwiches, beef brisket and maybe another dessert option. (Currently, Terrific Pizza offers dessert pizzas in apple and cherry.) The pizza shop owner said he has learned many lessons in his first year as a business owner and offers this advice for others looking to go into the pizza business: • Be patient: “You can’t rush something you are developing,” he said. • The right training program is vital: It doesn’t matter how many employees a new business has. What is important is that the owner trains them to meet the expectations of the business. “You’ve got to train them the way you want to get things done,” he said. Mr. Westerfield adds that once employees are trained for the job, the new owner might get a day off now and then. • Be focused: The new business owner has to keep his or her focus on the business. “If you start something, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. That’s what I’m doing every day,” he added. The Davenport businessman added that his biggest surprise of the first year was “how well everything came together for making this happen.” “I wouldn’t do anything over. Most importantly, my family stepped in big time and I couldn’t do it without them,” he said. Even though the first year of Terrific Pizza has been that “roller coaster” ride, Mr. Westerfield said he is looking forward to another year.  “I’m ready to get started on the second year…. This place just keeps getting greater.”  Terrific Pizza is open 3 to 9 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; 3 to 10 p.m. on Fridays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. It can be reached at (563) 650-3853.   Editor’s note: Stories from a Startup is a new feature of the QCBJ that will spotlight Quad Cities startup businesses that have completed their first year in business. To suggest a company for us to spotlight, send an email to [email protected].