When I was growing up I love pizza, and one of the main reasons I loved pizza so much is that my grandparents owned a restaurant, called Pasquale's, in Greenville, Mississippi. During the summers I would go to visit my grandparents for a few weeks at a time, and when I did I would spend most my days up at Pasquale's. One of my my favorite parts of this experience was being able to go behind the counter and make my own pizzas. I often would experiment with different types of pizza, of which one of my favorites was the ranch pizza. These summers fostered a love of pizza in me, but it also taught me many lessons about life, and that is really the point of this article.
In a dieing town, my grandparents' restaurant was very popular. Many people from around town, including doctors and the mayor, would come by for the lunch buffet on a weekly basis. The food was very good, but I truly believe the reason my grandparents were successful was that my grandfather was the biggest people-person I ever met in my entire life. To this day, when we walk in a restaurant together I am cautious about where we sit because he will be talking to the people at the next table asking about their family, friends, occupations, hobbies, and just about anything else you can think of. Though this is sometimes embarrassing to me, in almost never fails that people enjoy their conversations with him. Sometimes they even come across as if it was the highlight of their day. My grandfather was the same way with the customers that would come into his store. He knew their names, and would often ask about the people and concerns in their lives. People loved to see him, and though he would work very hard, he always made time for people.
My grandparents moved away from Greenville, but the memories of my grandparents lived on. I drove through town with them about 2 years after they moved away, and we stopped at Hardee's for breakfast on the way through town. Inside there were literally 5 or 6 people that walked over to to chat with him and to see how he was doing. Even more recently my grandfather joined Facebook, and after joining a group dedicated to Greenville, he received 50 messages the next day! I believe this is evidence that it was the relationships that were the base for the success of his business. I love pizza very much, but relationships were the deal breaker, not the pizza.
Jeremiah is the creator of a website dedicated to friends, family, relationships... and great pizza. Visit the site to learn more about friends and family and how to make a pizza.