SHORT ORDERS [PIZZA TIME]
Pie’s the Limit Pizza Head’s new owners promise great pizza served with purpose Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
W
hen Dylan Dodson and Sam Driemeier first started patroni ing Pizza Head (3196 South Grand Boulevard, 314-266-5400) a few years ago, they never dreamed that they would one day own the place hat all changed this past September when something inspired Dodson to reach out to i a Head’s former owner, Scott Sandler, to see if he’d be willing to sell As Dodson explains, he didn’t expect a yes, or even now what he would do if that yes came, but he still felt compelled to go for it I ust too a leap and messaged Scott, Dodson says I’m not sure why, but it ust occurred to me to do so I figured the worst case was that he would say no and I would ust go bac to my day ob ou don’t now until you as I felt li e there was a percent chance he’d say yes hough both Dodson and Driemeier have spent significant time in the restaurant business, neither were wor ing in it immediately prior to buying i a Head Driemeier has been a pharmacy technician for the past few years while Dodson has been in the manufacturing industry, most recently wor ing in a cardboard factory Despite their obs outside of the food and beverage field, they both longed to ma e their way bac into the business, both because of a genuine passion for it, as well as a desire to be the change they wanted to see in many of their former restaurant obs e’ve been there, and we now how we wish we were treated at the time, so we want to ta e our employees’ input and respect their ideas, Dodson says I am
Popular South Grand pizzeria Pizza Head is in good hands under its new ownership. | JJ, BE LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHY very into communication, and I feel li e I haven’t always had that in past obs Now that I am the owner, it’s very important for me to have that Dodson and Driemeier are especially cogni ant of how the ownership transition might be felt by their employees, and they say that they are ma ing every effort to involve them and hear their opinions on how things are going In turn, they are leaning on the wor ers who wor ed at i a Head under Sandler to learn a great deal about the restaurant’s recipes and processes heir guidance, coupled with the time they spent wor ing alongside Sandler himself as the deal was being finali ed, ma e them confident that they are able to continue providing the i a Head experience the restaurant’s patrons have come to now and love o that end, Dodson and Driemeier want i a Head’s loyalists to rest assured that they plan to eep the recipes, ingredients and menu items the same as they have always been he only changes they anticipate are additions, not subtractions the pair plan on expanding the restaurant’s hours they even suggest that brunch may be something to loo out for in the future , as well as its vegan offerings urrently, they are wor ing on bringing bac salads and developing vegan cheese bread, coo ies and breadstic s, which should be available soon e don’t want to turn i a Head into anything it’s not, Driemeier says e ust want to ta e
the same idea and expand on it ventually, we will see what happens down the road, because we don’t want to run before we are wal ing e feel li e we are doing well since the transition, so we don’t want to do too much too soon eyond the food, Dodson and Driemeier hope to eep another
[PROFILE]
Painted Plates For Food Raconteur, the dining table is a canvas for connection Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
A
shok Nageshwaran has traveled all over the world — throughout Europe, Asia, North America and Australia — and if there is one thing he has learned from those experiences, it’s that food is a vehicle for connection. “Food connects everyone,” Nageshwaran says. “It doesn’t matter one’s race, religion or where they live; it’s a connecting agent and catalyst. One of the bright spots during [the COVID-19 pandemic] has been food. It was the one thing people could look forward to. Even when everything was closed, people could bake or cook or try out something new in their homes. I truly believe it helped many people come out of depression. It’s a fantastic agent, and I feel
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important aspect of i a Head up and running its charitable efforts In particular, the pair hope to bring bac their own version of the restaurant’s former ay It orward program, which provides pi a to those in need, as soon as possible Dodson and Driemeier have been wor ing with local shelters, nonprofits and churches to figure out how to best reinstate the initiative hough they are not uite ready to announce their plans or the name of their new initiative, they are in the process of finali ing the details and hope to ma e their vision for the program public shortly In addition to helping the hungry and unhoused members of the community, Dodson and Driemeier hope to focus on food waste, a problem they have noticed during their time in the restaurant business hey emphasi e they are committed to using their business to be a force for good, and they are eager to figure out ways to give to the community that go well beyond simply serving up great pi a Now, we are in a position to be a small part of the solution, says Dodson. n blessed to have chosen this industry.” Nageshwaran founded Food Raconteur (www.foodraconteurmo.com) in 2017 as a multifaceted culinary business that provides catering, consulting, education and private chef services to individuals and companies in the St. Louis area and beyond. A former marketing executive, the chef was inspired to leave his career behind and enter the culinary field after moving to St. Louis ten years ago for his wife’s job. Here, in a new country and new culture, he found himself questioning his path and felt that he was in a good situation to make a significant life change. “It gets to the point where you ask yourself if you are really happy with what you are doing,” Nageshwaran says. “My job looked really good from the perspective of LinkedIn — I had a good salary, 200 people reporting to me and all of that — but inside, I felt that I had another calling.” Nageshwaran always had a passion for cooking, though he never thought of pursuing it as a career. Instead, he undertook both undergraduate and graduate studies in business and dove headfirst into the corporate world, finding great success in the marketing field. Continued on pg 23
JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2022
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