Twenty jobs have been created after a former Burton cycling shop has been transformed into a pizza restaurant offering a new concept dining experience.
The former Sheffield Cycles shop, in Station Street, Burton, is now unrecognisable as the Pizza Galore restaurant takes over with a maximum of 100 diners for each sitting able to sample its oven-baked delicacies.
The Burton Mail was given a sneak peek around by owners Ged Henson and Tony Wrighton as it opened to the public for the first time.
Gone are the stacked bikes formerly displayed in the shop which stood proud in Burton for more than 30 years until it closed earlier this year.
However, there is still evidence of the once-popular store with leftover bicycle wheels now part of the light fittings hanging above the diners.
In tribute to the old East Midlands Electricity Board, which operated from the premises before it became Sheffield Cycles, the original mosaic flooring has remained in place after it was discovered under the old carpet.
Gerard and Tony, both in their 50s and from Lichfield, said Burton was the perfect fit for the budding firm, with the building right in the town centre in Station Street.
Pizza Galore is the first of its kind in the country.
Put quite simply, Ged said: "You don’t order anything. We bring out pizza with different toppings, cut into slices and offer them to your table if you wish to try it."
Tony said: "It is a new concept of pizza. You don't just get one pizza when you come you get a whole variety of flavours and taste, savoury, dessert, and sweet, and we serve them to you at your table so don’t have wait for just one pizza.
"We give you lots of different options. If you don’t like it you say no thank you, if you do like it, just take more, have as you like."
It looks as if there will be no toppings they will not try. Expect to see toppings such as Nutella, apple and cinnamon, pear and gorgonzola, Marmite of course, as well as vegetarian options and halal.
Tony said: "There are around 400 different toppings we know and we will do about 15 different toppings in an evening."
It has taken three months for the dream to become a reality after taking over the building, but why a former cycle shop?
Ged said: "Location-wise it is fantastic building, it has got some history. The frontage is superb, there is plenty of passing traffic and people. It is very visual, what more could we ask for.
"We didn't realised how much we had taken on. It has been a task; totally stripping out electrics. Anyone who has been in here before has only got to take a look round to see how much has been done."
It was important to the businessmen to nod to Burton's rich history when designing the restaurant.
Tony said: "We have managed to keep some old bits of the building, the original 1950s floor which was part of the electricity board.
"We will also have Marmite pizza. It is something very different in flavour and goes with our concept - anything goes, any flavour you like."
It is no secret that Pizza Galore joins a long list of eateries in the town, so what makes it different to the rest?
Ged said: "It is a totally different concept. There is nothing like this in the UK. It is fresh, innovative and is about quality product."
Pizza Galore has recently taken delivery of its stone-bake oven all the way from Italy, which can make 70 18-inch pizzas every hour, cut into 12 slices and offered around the room.
There are cards on the tables with, 'At the limit; and 'bring it on' which diners put of their table depending on if they are finally full or not.
It is open from 4pm to 9pm Tuesday to Thursday, 4pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 7pm on Sundays.
Further information is available by visiting the Pizza Galore website.
