By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
There are lots of incredible businesses and restaurants right in our own backyard which is why WKTV has partnered with the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce to bring this series focused on businesses right here in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming.
Starting the series is Tomato Pie. which was recently purchased Chef Joseff VanHorn, owner of YoChef’s Catering Company and YoChef’s Café.
Name: Tomato Pie, 5301 S. Divison Ave.
What is your business?
A restaurant serving wood fired thin Napoli-style pizza, with a wonderful bubbly crust. Combining high quality ingredients with unique flavor combinations. Also serving hot subs and specialty salads.
How long has your business been operating?
I took over the pizza business November 16, 2020 from Sam D’Angelo (open a total of 18 months)
How did your business get started?
Sam D’Angelo had a vision of what pizza should be (hand tossed dough made from scratch and a red sauce that was made from scratch but not too sweet. Sam & I have been friends for years and in the middle of 2020 we both had to make a move. Catering was at an all time low for me and Sam needed someone he could trust to keep his vision alive and take it to the next level! I excepted the challenge and have been using my 30-plus years of operating many kitchens to bring Tomato Pie to the next level.
Why did you decide to locate your business in the Wyoming/Kentwood area?
Sam owned a car lot on which the new building stands. I have another business in Kentwood – YoChef’s Catering Company & YoChef’s Café so it was a perfect fit to be located right around the corner.
What has been the greatest challenge for your business?
Keeping our business open during 2020. COVID-19 and all the rules and regulations that have affected the hospitality business has made it almost impossible to stay open.
What is the most popular product/item at your business/restaurant?
Specialty pizzas that you can’t find anywhere else separate us from the standard pizza place. We slice to order a lot of specialty meats and cheeses to make your pizza just the way you like it. People have told us the Margherita, four cheese, & aged prosciutto pizza are the best in town.
What is a Wyoming/Kentwood business you like to visit during your free time?
I have not had much free time. Mostly my away time is spent shopping for local products, meats and cheeses. I really enjoy Lee’s Market for Asian and the Mediterranean Island Market for the hard to find specialty meats and cheese like Suho Meso and Sudeka (smoked beef products).
Hopes for 2021:
We hope to get Tomato Pie open and profitable where people enjoy dine-in or take out food for lunch or dinner. You can not tell from the street but when you walk inside Tomato Pie it is a GREAT place to dine-in. We have an open kitchen where guests can see us toss the dough by hand in the air and make their lunch/diner right in front of them. It is all about the show!
