Next time you’re stuck on what to order for lunch, stop by Rize Pizza on East Market Street. This new, chic pizza shop from Broomall is the perfect place for every dinner occasion, whether it’s a casual meet-up, a date, or a fancy dinner party. And it’s only been in the borough since the beginning of July! I spoke with Julia, one of Rize’s owners about their new beginning in West Chester.
“We’ve had our first Broomall location for two and a half years,” Julia described, “and we knew it was a small location. We wanted to open up a second, bigger location where people could sit down and enjoy the Rize crust. So when we first started the journey, we fell in love with not only the space, but the town. West Chester really seems to love pizza. There’s a lot of pizza places.”
Julia and her partner, Jim, Rize’s additional owner, were thrilled about West Chester’s hospitality when they arrived.
“We’ve had unbelievable support from other businesses,” Julia said. “Más sent us flowers and the owner from Eat Om Yoga, Susan, said, ‘Whatever you need to promote your business, I want to be a part of to help you succeed.'”
For Jim, it seemed natural to open a second location in West Chester.
“My father’s first pizza shop was in West Chester on Five Points Road,” he said. “So when we were looking for other locations, it was a little like fate to be brought to the borough again. People say everything happens for a reason.”
“Julia’s a great partner,” Jim continued, “You need that collaboration with the marketing and sales aspect. This way, I can focus more on my craft. I’ve always loved it, it’s sentimental for me growing up in the pizza business.”
Out of everything that Julia and Jim have achieved at Rize Pizza, they are most proud of the restaurant’s end product.
“We’ve created something unique here,” Jim said. “We’re not comparable to other restaurants. I just wanted to distinguish myself from everybody else. It’s gratifying to see people’s reactions to our food. We basically work for the people. And it’s gratifying to see people happy because of something you created.”
Check out Rize Pizza online and visit them any day of the week.