Celebrating 15 Years of Success, Growth, and Community
By Like Media Team
What began as a mobile pizza oven has grown into two thriving brick-and-mortar restaurants. Laura and Seth Carey couldn’t be prouder of Versalia Pizza. Their gratitude runs deep for those who have supported their vision along the way.
Laura reflects on the early days and the decision to expand. “It wasn't too long into our first season as a mobile food vendor when people started asking, ‘Where can we find you in the winter?’” she recalls. “We had customers who ordered several pizzas and froze them to savor during the ‘pizza drought’ while we were shut down over the winter." Within a few years, after operating in the spring, summer, and fall, they were approached by Jim Frank, Greenstone's owner, at the Liberty Lake Farmers Market. His suggestion to establish a brick-and-mortar location in Kendall Yards paved the way for their next chapter. In 2014, Versalia Pizza opened its doors year-round, much to the delight of its loyal customers.
This past summer marks two major milestones for the Careys: 15 years with their mobile pizza oven and 10 years at their Spokane Kendall Yards location in Washington. Seth and Laura attribute their ongoing success to a focus on relationships—both with customers and employees. “We have listened to our employees’ ideas, learned from them, and improved because of them,” Laura says. “We owe a lot of our success to employees who have come and gone, and shared a little piece of their wisdom with us along the way. That, and a lot of hard work and hard discussions.”
When asked what they are most proud of, the Careys point to the obstacles they’ve overcome in their 15 years of business. “We have dealt with all sorts of challenges along the way, from competitive vendors who could be heard saying, ‘I bet they don't sell one slice of pizza’ at our first market, to weather, to heat stroke from doing too much next to the oven in the hot summer air,” Laura explains. “The highlights were always proving the naysayers wrong, as well as really getting to know the customers who would follow us from event to event, enjoying our delicious offerings, and now still frequent us at the restaurants.”
As they reflect on their journey, Seth and Laura are deeply thankful for their community's support and the meaningful relationships they've formed. “From long-time customers to employees to friendships that have been born out of this business, it truly makes all of it worth it,” Laura smiles.
Versalia Pizza
Kendall Yards
1333 W. Summit Pkwy
Spokane, WA
509.389.0029
River District
20760 E. Indiana Ave.
Liberty Lake, WA
509.290.5277
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