Q: HOW DID STAN’S PIZZA JOINT COME INTO BEING?
I, Stan, had operated a Pizza Factory franchise since 1999. I met Judith in 2007, when she tagged along with one of my drivers on a second date. We had a lot of laughs and Judith got to experience the exhilaration of a busy thriving kitchen on a Friday night. I shared my ambition to create a pizza sports bar restaurant. We began the painstaking process of co-ordinating between contractors and permit approvals from the city, and we watched as we expanded to next door and built from the ground up.
Q: WHY THE HEIGHTS?
I looked at the strip of Hastings Street, in the Heights, as having a similar feel to Kits and Commercial, vibrant and energetic. The people living in the Heights make this a great place. We are proud to be a part of this community and support it as much as we can. And we are extremely grateful for the support they have shown us.
Q: WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE BEGINNING?
While we were under construction, we displayed a “restaurant makeover” sign in our window. This caused quite a stir with people poking their heads in the door expecting to see Igor from the TV show. And there was still a buzz when we opened. It was fun right away keeping up with the level of activity. We were, and still are, really unique in the area, offering a relaxed atmosphere for families or individuals wanting to catch their favourite sport on TV and enjoy excellent food and a beverage.
Q: HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED?
Looking back at our humble beginnings, we have grown and built the business immensely. We have been fortunate to have had so many enthusiastic staff working for us, most of them remaining part of our family after moving on.
Q: WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT OWNING STAN’S PIZZA JOINT?
Since our early days, we have become a big part of the business community as well catering to their lunch and meeting needs. We also enjoy the privilege of supplying most of the elementary schools with pizza for their hot lunch programs.
Judith and I are lucky to enjoy operating a successful business in the Heights. While there have been bumps and challenges along the way, it gives us a warm feeling to be the “go to” place for our many wonderful customers. We always enjoy hearing people say: “We love your pizza.”
Q: TELL ME ABOUT A FAVOURITE MEMORY?
A great memory is from 2010 during the Gold Medal Hockey game between Canada and the U.S, We had way more people than our 50 seats accommodated as they were packed standing everywhere. The roar as Crosby scored the overtime winner still echoes in my head! We have his jersey hanging at the Joint in acknowledgement of him.
We’ve had wedding parties and engagements at the Joint. We’ve had countless sport teams parties. In 2014 we were voted best pizza in Burnaby by the readers of the Burnaby NOW. We were elated to receive this honour.
Q: HOW DOES IT FEEL CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS?
From the early days twenty years ago, to opening Stan’s, 10 years ago, it has been an incredible journey! We are very proud to be here today. A lot of hard work and long days. But seeing the smile on everyones face makes it all worth while.
Q: WHAT’S PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE?
We look forward to continued success and growth over the next decade.
