Local business owner grateful for those who helped her succeed

By K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer

Brittany Hyde is a true Branson success story. A local business owner, Hyde has worked her way up through the ranks with diligence, to achieve her goals.

Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, Brittany and her family moved to the Ozarks when she was just eight years old.

“My parents moved here because they loved the area,” said Brittany. “My dad loved to hunt and fish all year long. In Oklahoma, my parents owned Hyde’s Smokehouse and BBQ. When we moved to Branson in 1997, they brought the amazing BBQ with them and opened Old West BBQ in the shopping center next to the Welk Resort. The second restaurant they opened was The Catfish House on Gretna Road, behind Lodge of the Ozarks.”

Brittany attended Branson schools through most of her educational career. The family moved to Powersite while Hyde was in high school, so she graduated from Forsyth High in 2007, and would later attend Everest College in Springfield, graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Accounting. Hyde also spent many hours working alongside her parents in the family restaurants, developing a strong work ethic and learning the tricks of the trade.

With a background in the food service industry, a career in the restaurant business was a natural next step for Hyde, who purchased Cross Creek Pizza World in January 2020.

“I was hired as a delivery driver when I first joined Pizza World,” Hyde explained. “After a few years, I moved up to be the manager. Then in 2019, I decided to accept Duane’s offer to purchase Pizza World.”

Duane Rogers was the owner of Pizza World in 2010 when Hyde was on the search for a job.

“Duane was the food salesman for my parents when they owned the Catfish House,” said Hyde.

“I remember seeing Duane come in and get a food order from my parents, and he tells me he remembers me standing on a milk crate, washing dishes. So, when I went in to get a job at Pizza World, I saw Duane, and I thought, ‘How cool is that. Duane already knew my work history, starting at nine years old’. He didn’t make me fill out an application, he just hired me. I really enjoyed working for Duane. He leads by example. He is a hard worker; he is respectful of his employees. He is tough when he needs to be. He takes care of problems when they arise. He is a great mentor and leader. He helped me through the whole process of purchasing Pizza World and continues to be my mentor today.”

Located on Cross Creek Boulevard, off of Highway 76 East, Cross Creek Pizza World offers pizza delivery, carryout and dinein services for the convenience of their customers. The delivery service covers Kirbyville, most of Hollister, a large part of Branson, and part of Forsyth. The franchise employs 20 to 25 people, and is open year round.

Said Hyde, “Pizza World offers a dining room that seats around 50 guests. We have background music playing, and we have three TVs for the guests to watch while dining with us. We want our guests to feel comfortable and enjoy their experience. We strive to provide the best customer service possible. We appreciate and value all our customers, but I must say we have a special bond with our locals. We know many by name, and they are a joy to see every day. We like to take a minute and find out how their day is going or just cut up and have a little fun. It really makes work so much more enjoyable and fulfilling when we take a couple minutes to chat with a guest or make a child smile.”

It is that attention to customer service that makes Pizza World so successful. In Hyde’s first year as owner, the store was recognized as “Franchise of the Year” for the chain’s highest sales in 2020.

When not busy with work, Brittany enjoys spending time with her family. Said Hyde, “I am a mother to an energetic, beautiful baby girl. Nicholas and I welcomed Baylee May into the world in August 2021. She is a complete joy for our whole family. She just turned a year old, so she is very curious and adventurous. I also have a 15-year-old brother. He is our star athlete of the family. He is an amazing cross country runner. He is one of the best long-distance runners in Strafford High School. He also works at Pizza World on the weekends. I could not be more proud of my little brother.”

Although Brittany has achieved success through dedication, long hours, sacrifice and diligence, she is quick to give credit to those who have helped her along the way.

“I credit most of my success to my mother, Diane Hyde. She has always been a very strong leader in business and in life,” Hyde explained. “She has always been my role model. Because of her, I wanted to own a restaurant since I was in grade school. She made it look fun and enjoyable because she loves serving good food, but she loves people’s reactions to the good food even more. I realize now that there was a lot of hard work that went along with, also. My mother is many things. She is so smart, exceptionally beautiful, patient, caring, a good listener, a great leader, extremely hard working, a great problem solver, and fun to be around. She is also an amazing cook. Her BBQ is the best! She can fire up a smoker and make magic happen. She cooks the most tender brisket I have ever tasted.”

“I also would also like to credit Duane for my success, as well,” Hyde continued. “Thank you Mom, Dad, and Duane for the guidance, knowledge and courage to do what we have accomplished.”

Cross Creek Pizza World is located at 225 Cross Creek Boulevard, Suite F, in the Cross Creek Center. For more information, visit their website, pizzaworldonline. com, or give them a call at 417- 334-4445.