Celebrating 15 years of dishing up handcrafted artisan pizza
By Jillian Chandler
From what began as a mobile pizza oven to now two successful brick-and-mortar restaurants, Laura and Seth Carey couldn’t be prouder of Versalia Pizza and are truly grateful for those who continue to show their unwavering support of their vision.
Laura reflects on the early days of Versalia Pizza and the inspiration to expand with a restaurant. “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?’ Laura remembers. “We had customers who ordered several pizzas and froze them to savor them throughout the ‘pizza drought’ while we were shut down over the winter. Within a few years of operating throughout the spring, summer and fall, we were approached by Greenstone owner Jim Frank at the Liberty Lake Farmers Market with the idea of a brick-and-mortar in Kendall Yards.” And in 2014, Versalia Pizza opened their doors year-round to their customers’ delight.
As Seth and Laura celebrate their 15th anniversary of their mobile pizza oven, as well as the 10th anniversary of their Kendall Yards location, this summer, the couple believes their continued success is their dedication to keep both the customer and employee experience relationship focused. Laura adds, “We have listened to our employees’ ideas, learned from them and improved because of them. 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.”
To celebrate these two milestones, Versalia Pizza will have specials throughout their anniversary weekend, July 12 through 14, as well as a 10th-anniversary party that will be open to the public at Kendall Yards in July. (Stay up to date on details as the event nears by following them on Facebook.)
When it comes to what the Careys are most proud of when it comes to their restaurants, it is the challenges they have navigated through throughout their 15 years in 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, and now still frequent us at the restaurants.” Seth and Laura are grateful for the support of their community and for all the relationships that have been a part of these past 15 years; for the memories that have been born from sharing a table over pizza with family and friends. “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. VersaliaPizza.com 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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