New family-owned pizza-and-smoothie restaurant opens
Story’s Pizza & Smoothies is reinventing itself with a move to new, larger location in a different city.
The business launched in December 2020 at a pop-up location inside Miami Valley Center Mall in Piqua, but opened a 1,500-square-foot location Jan. 21 at 2741 West Alex Bell Road in Moraine. The new eatery serves New York-style pizza, real fruit smoothies and more.
The family-owned restaurant is the work of Ona Smith, her father, Steve, and her brother, Cory.
“In Piqua, we were really bigger than the opportunity that we were given there,” Ona Smith said. “The traffic started to slow up really bad, but I know our products that we put out are wonderful, so we wanted a better opportunity.”
Story’s features a Build Your Own Pizza option with a choice of 25 different toppings, specialty pizzas, a gluten-free crustless pizza bowl, pizza by the slice and strombolis, a type of turnover stuffed with various toppings, pizza sauce and Italian cheeses.
It also offers sub sandwiches, chicken wings, chicken tenders, chicken wraps, salads, side dishes and desserts.
“Story’s Pizza is a one-of-a-kind pizza,” said Steve Smith. “The sauce is handmade. The dough is handmade. What I really went after here is a real-life New York slice. You have people here who imitate a New York slice all the time, but nobody’s ever mastered it. I’ve got a real New York slice of pizza here.”
Story’s Pizza & Smoothies also creates a dizzying variety of smoothies — 35 in all — from classic to healthy to exotic. There’s even a Smoothie Bowl option that lets customers pick their fruit bowl, granola and toppings.
Cory Smith said he decided to offer smoothies in a pizza shop because he wanted the business to be different and increase the amount of dining options for customers.
“I wanted something healthy to go with something that could be unhealthy for you,” he said. “Blending smoothies, that’s all I’ve ever done. I’ve been doing this for seven years at home, I worked for someone else doing this and then I wanted to do it on my own.”
Story’s Pizza & Smoothies opens at 7 a.m. most days to accommodate those who must go to work.
“Some people don’t feel like waiting in long lines for fast food that’s unhealthy for you anyways,” Smith said. ” I just wanted to give them an option to be able to stop in for something that’s quick, fresh and healthy.”
The business gets its name from combining Steve and Cory Smith’s first names.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The business is closed Mondays.
DDN