A new beginning for John's Pizza and Cambridge Road
COSHOCTON — A strong clientele and wanting to elevate a depressed area of Coshocton has led to a new Papa John's Pizza location at 439 Cambridge Road. A grand opening and ribbon cutting was held Wednesday.
Joe and Jeni Hogue have owned the local franchise for 25 years. They also have two stores in Zanesville. They leased their previous building on Chestnut Street, before building the new restaurant..
The new building owned by the Hogues features two additional store fronts for businesses ranging from 900- to 2,400-square-feet based on layout. The Papa John's is a little less than 1,200 feet. It sits on the former site of Pretty Products, a manufacturer of auto mats that closed in 2008.
The project took two years. Hathaway Inc. was the primary contractor with Bice and Sons Masonry, Philip A. Wagner and William Albert Excavating as subcontractors. The project was about $850,000.
"We needed more space. We needed a pick-up window. This lot was available and we wanted to build something nice to give back to the community. Coming up Cambridge Road, we just wanted a really nice looking building," Joe said. "There's been a lot of people stopping by and excited for the move."
The store features a drive-thru window, new ovens and redesigned production lines for higher volumes. General Manager Noah Gallagher said they make from 1,300 to 1,500 pizzas a week.
"We outgrew our old space and old equipment," Joe said.
Gallagher said they have 10 employees and are hiring more. The restaurant often participates in local events, such as Taste of Coshocton for United Way, and fundraisers, including donating pizzas for the annual Coshocton Rotary Club's 12 Days of Christmas raffle.
"What I've found about community support is that it's a two-way relationship. If you're willing to give to the community, they're willing to come back to you because they see that you're involved," Gallagher said.
Mayor Mark Mills said if utility crews are out at a waterline break or another emergency, Gallagher is usually calling him and offering free pizzas to the employees working overtime.
He said it's a new beginning for the corner, and other store fronts will help spur economic development on the road.
"For the naysayers who say it's another pizza shop; it's a small business, it's local people supporting the local economy," Mills said. "I look forward to seeing what other businesses go next door."
Papa John's Pizza of Coshocton is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday to Saturday. The store can be reached at 740-623-8483 and orders can be placed online at papajohns.com.
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This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: A new beginning for John's Pizza and Cambridge Road
