Brewers special. Chicken Cordon Blu. Thai chicken.
None of these combinations sound like toppings on a traditional pizza.
But Kitsap Pizza co-owner Corinne Nelson hopes these are some of the reasons that differentiate her store on Sedgwick Road across from Albertsons and the chain establishments in the area.
And there are more.
“We brew our own beer and make our own dough every day,” Nelson said.
“That’s the one thing that makes us different from everyone else. We’re serving a completely different product.”
Nelson, a 30-year-old Port Orchard resident, said the beer-battered dough is not the only unique aspect about Kitsap Pizza, which also has a location in downtown Bremerton. Both stores are employee-owned.
“There are a lot of people who are discouraged by chain stores and want to shop local,” she said. “The local community supporting local businesses are really helping us thrive.”
The menu also is larger than many pizza parlors. Options range from the traditional, such as Hawaiian, to names that many would expect to see in a restaurant with a different focus, such as a gyro combination featuring Tzatziki sauce, gyro meat, red onions, tomatoes and feta.
“So many things you wouldn’t think of are on our menu,” Nelson said.
She said they also are not about to stop.
“We’re bringing out featured pizza every month,” Nelson said. “I can’t even believe that we make the pizzas we make. This month is the Reuben.”
A four-topping or combination 12-inch pizza is $12 and increases $2 incrementally for 14- and 16-inches. Kitsap Pizza also sells one-topping pizzas by the slice or $8 for a 12-inch pizza with the same price hike for larger options.
They also sell traditional pizza-parlor staples, such as cheesy bread and bread and cinnamon sticks, along with $12 calzones. Nelson said through a trial-and-error experiment, they have developed pizza fries.
“We’re just a group of people trying to do big, cool things out there,” she said.
Nelson said the local location delivers within an eight-mile radius, which means customers can be reached from Key Peninsula to Gorst and Manchester. The restaurant, which has a patio for outdoor seating, has limited occupancy inside.
But Nelson, who began making and delivering pizza through chain restaurants as a teenager, has big goals for her business.
“One day I want to be everywhere,” she said. “I want Kitsap Pizza to be the go-to name.”
