Plates in the Air

By Angie Johnson-Schmit

Skyler Reeves has a lot of plates in the air. The local restaurateur is in the process of expanding by opening a second location for Rosa’s Pizzeria in Prescott Valley, Arizona. He plans on bringing the same great menu to the new location, as well as opening a patio for an outdoor dining option. The popular Italian restaurant is slated to open their doors in the Prescott Valley Town Center this fall.

Rosa’s Pizzeria has been a favorite among locals for over a decade, and for more than just their excellent pizza. The original owners of Rosa’s built a dedicated following for their homemade Sicilian and Southern Italian dishes, including classic favorites like chicken marsala, eggplant parmigiano and their specialty homemade lasagna. When Domenic and Rosa Anzelmo were ready to sell, they found a willing and eager buyer in Reeves. Already a fan of Rosa’s, it was no hardship for Reeves to meet their condition that nothing be changed.

While the new Rosa’s Pizzeria is his first foray into the Prescott Valley food scene, Reeves is no stranger to the restaurant business. Reeves also owns and operates the popular foodie destination, The Barley Hound, as well as The County Seat, Taco Don’s and La Planchada.

His restaurants feature different types of food and décor, but the notion of great food in a carefully planned setting is a common thread among them all. “The thing I’m most passionate about is bringing people together and showing them a good time, and that almost always involves food and drink,” said Reeves. “We’re social creatures. That’s what makes us human, and I just love creating those spaces for people.”

The thing I'm most passionate about is bringing people together and showing them a good time, and that almost always involves food and drink. We're social creatures, that's what makes us human, and I just love creating those spaces for people.

- Skyler Reeves

The entrepreneur got his start in the food and beverage industry at an early age. “Looking back, I was really enamored with the whole thing as a young guy,” said Reeves. He was hooked and proceeded to work his way up. “One thing led to another as I became a manager, then a general manager, then a director.” It was clear to Reeves that restaurant work wasn’t just something he enjoyed; it was also something he could turn into a career.

When Reeves moved to the area from Michigan about eight years ago, he already had 25 years of experience under his belt. He took what he had learned and immediately jumped into the local restaurant scene.

Reeves credits his time in the industry as well as a couple of mentors for giving him a solid foundation in how to run a restaurant, from the kitchen to the books.

Reeves has an interesting approach to choosing what kind of food or style of dining he features when looking for a new venture. “A lot of operators make the mistake of getting set on a certain type of restaurant and then going to look to open that restaurant,” said Reeves. “I look for real estate first.” From there, he comes up with a concept.

He acknowledges that his approach is “backwards from a lot of people,” and noted that when he saw the space in the Burmeister building in downtown Prescott, he was struck by how huge the space was. Bearing the size in mind, Reeves quickly realized the need to cast a wide net for The County Seat. “I needed something that was going to…hit for a lot of reasons and for people to be able to come there for a while.” One answer for that was to serve high end coffee.

He also looked around to see what other kinds of restaurants were in the area. “I looked at the other offerings in town and there was nothing like a quick healthy sandwich or salad,” said Reeves. He uses this same methodology for all of his restaurants, although some of them, like the taqueria and tequila bar La Planchada, are definitely more niche. It all comes back to the space and what Reeves believes will work best within those parameters.

2020 was a difficult year for the food and beverage industry, but Reeves faced the adversity head on. Creative problem solving became an even bigger necessity and Reeves and his team leaned into it. Their solutions ranged from chalkboard menus and curb-side delivery to more tech-based approaches like paperless menus, online ordering, and mobile application (app) integration. Some of these proved so successful that Reeves plans to continue using them.

One of the solutions that will be used going forward for some of the restaurants is paperless menus. Reeves pointed out that an advantage is the ability to make menu changes on the fly. For other ventures, there will be a return to physical menus. “At Rosa’s, we are happy to have our regular menus back,” said Reeves. “I don’t always like looking at the phone, it just depends on the situation.”

Online ordering was already in place at Rosa’s Pizzeria, and they understand the benefits. “More and more people are ordering online and are enjoying it,” said Reeves. They have moved forward with integration with third-party delivery apps, although they are still working through how to make it work best for them.

While Reeves has no problem with delivery apps such as Door Dash, Uber Eats, or Postmates, he pointed out that it is easy for customers to think they are directly ordering from Rosa’s when they are not. The issue for the restaurant is that it can cause customer confusion and that these apps get a fee for orders placed through them, whether the restaurant has entered into an agreement with the app or not. “There can be an upside to it (ordering for delivery through apps), you just don’t want them taking over,” said Reeves.

It’s no secret that staffing restaurants has been difficult in 2021. Reeves took an equally pragmatic yet creative approach to meet that challenge. “I tell my managers we want to attack our biggest problems with the buckshot approach,” he said.

One of his most successful ideas has been to offer eligible employees 100% tuition reimbursement to Yavapai College. According to Reeves, employees who have worked an average of 32 hours a week are eligible after 60 to 90 days of employment.

The tuition reimbursement program has been hugely successful. “We’ve gotten a big influx of applicants from all over the country,” said Reeves. “We really want it to be a longterm solution.” Even without the additional stressors of a widespread staffing shortage, there tends to be a high turnover rate in the restaurant business. What Reeves is hoping to achieve is staff continuity. He plans to keep working with Yavapai College to attract students who may already be enrolled at the college and are looking for a job while they complete their education.

Reeves is a man who is constantly working to up his restaurant game. Whether it’s the menu, the décor, restaurant staff or the more elusive energy and vibe of each establishment, he is not one to settle for “good enough.” Judging from his large and loyal foodie fans, it’s a winning strategy that leaves his patrons hungry for more.

The Barley Hound’s Fresh Ceviche with Housemade Green Curry, Strawberry & Grapefruit

Serves: 4

Method: Marinate

Minutes: approx. 90

Difficulty: 6/10

Green Curry

Ingredients:

2 cups cilantro leaves & stems chopped, 2 cups mint leaves & stems chopped, 2 cups basil leaves & stems chopped, 3 Thai chilis OR 1 serrano chili sliced thin and deseeded, 2 green bell peppers, 2 oz. ginger rough chopped, 4 stalks lemon grass, 1 bulb of garlic skin removed, 14 oz. can of coconut milk, 1/2 cup water

Instructions for Curry:

• Place liquids into a food processor or blender.

• Add remaining curry ingredients and blend/puree until smooth.

Ceviche

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 pounds seasonal fish or shrimp, 1/3 cup lime juice, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup orange juice

Instructions for Ceviche:

• Dice fish or shrimp into small pieces.

• Stir into citrus juices.

• Place in refrigerator and let rest for 1 hour.

• Stir ingredients and strain out juices.

Fruit Mixture

Ingredients

1 lb. strawberries, washed, stems removed, sliced and small diced, 1 grapefruit, skin removed, sliced and small diced, 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and small diced 10 mint leaves, finely chopped, Juice of 1 lime

Instructions for Fruit Mixture:

• Chop all ingredients and mix in a bowl.

• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Plating:

• Spoon 1 oz. of green curry on plate or in a bowl.

• Place about 1/4 cup (or more) of strained ceviche in center.

• Top with fruit mixture and serve with tortilla chips.