“I bring passion to the table.”
That’s the message from Doug Westerfield, a longtime restaurant chef in the Quad Cities who is getting ready to open Terrific Pizza on July 1 at 1627 Washington St., Davenport.
“It’s a perfect location. It’s just a really busy street,” Mr. Westerfield told the QCBJ as he prepared to open the pizza shop in a few days.
That “perfect location” is next door to the Meat Market on the west end of Davenport, and not too far from the ultra-busy Five Points section of the city. That Washington Street neighborhood is a mix of businesses and homes, and located just south of Locust Street.
Mr. Westerfield, 48, of Davenport, says he loves the look and feel of the neighborhood and looks forward to bringing a new business to that section of the city.
By mid-June, work was continuing on the interior of the new restaurant, but Mr. Westerfield said he was confident of a July 1 opening. He added that it is important for Terrific Pizza to open on that date because July 1, which is a Friday, is the start of a very busy Fourth of July holiday weekend. The new business owner says he plans to have a big opening weekend and even have a band play outside the new restaurant.
“But I think we’re going to start off slow, and later have a full menu,” he said.
The pizza offerings will include sausage, ham, pepperoni, bacon, mushroom and many others, according to the restaurant menu on Mr. Westerfield’s Facebook page.
He added that the Terrific Pizza will have about six employees, and its initial hours of operation will likely be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.
But Mr. Westerfield is planning for bigger things for the restaurant. For instance, he hopes to eventually open Terrific Pizza at 10 a.m. on Sundays and offer brunch, and offer a much bigger menu to customers.
Also, he is making plans for outside dining. Even though Terrific Pizza will not have room for dine-in service, he says his customers can use the outdoor seating available next door at the Meat Market.
“I’m really excited about this. I’m a person who works better under pressure,” he added.
Even though there is always some pressure in opening a new business, Mr. Westerfield says he is ready for the challenge. He says his experience in the restaurant field will help him in his new business adventure.
The Davenport man has 27 years of experience in the field. That experience includes working at The Current Hotel, Hilton, the Monarch Bar & Grill in Bettendorf and the R/C Brazilian Steakhouse, according to his Facebook page.
He says that experience has taught him many valuable lessons. They include: keep a positive attitude, keep the lines of communications open with employees and keep your passion for the business alive.
“You can’t lose your passion in this business,” he added.
