By JENI DEERY
jeni@du2.byu.edu
The Pizza Factory opened its doors in Provo Monday, with a combined pasta and pizza menu.
The Provo store is the largest of the small chain in Utah. There are three Pizza Factories in southern Utah and one Pasta Factory, but the Provo store is a combination of both, said Blaine Jex, manager of the Provo store.
'This is something we've wanted to do for a long time,' Jex said. 'People often request both pasta and pizza, and this will be more beneficial to customers. We're hoping it will be more appealing to have both.'
He said the combined menu has created some problems because the pasta takes four minutes to prepare compared to a pizza which takes about 12 minutes to cook.
To ensure freshness, Jex said they postponed opening the restaurant until the 98-member staff was trained to time the meals correctly.
Jex said Provo was chosen as the location for the new store because of the large market for restaurants in the area.
'People need more, so we want to give them more,' he said.
The Pizza Factory makes 85 percent of its food from scratch, Jex said.
At the restaurant, customers can create their own pasta or pizza combinations. Many meals also come with a breadstick that is baked around a stick. The creation is supposed to look like a flower in a vase, Jex said.
Jex said the restaurant is designed to be a relaxed atmosphere. In addition to the main portion of the restaurant, there is an overflow room that is more business-like and can be used for conferences.
'We wanted to combine fun and funky with old world Italian,' Jex said about the interior design of the restaurant.
Lindsay Patch, 19, a sophomore from Kent, Wash., majoring in pre-social work, ate at the Pizza Factory on its opening day and enjoyed the environment.
'It was a great atmosphere. They took good care of us,' she said. 'The prices weren't bad and everyone was friendly.'
Tracey Dannelly, 20, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb., with an open major, agreed.
'It was more casual and laid-back,' Dannelly said. 'It was good food and good service ... You paid for what you got.'
The store also includes a gift shop with T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts and hats with the Pizza Factory logo.
The first Pizza Factory opened in 1974 in Cedar City, and there are also two stores in St. George, where there is also a Pasta Factory.
The stores are owned by Jex, Daryl Magleby and Don Parker, who live in the Provo area, and Bill Randall, Brad Nelson and Bill Kringler who are from southern Utah.
The new Pizza Factory is at 2230 N. University Parkway at the new building at CottonTree Square.