Pizza and beer from Pizza and Porter. Photo: Nikki Bailey.
The classic combination of pizza and beer has lured parched patrons to Esperance’s Pizza & Porter, and the brains behind the new establishment said business was thriving.
American-raised owner Ed Rhode served his first customers nearly three months ago at his restaurant on Dempster Street.
“We’ve received really great feedback from the community who seem to love the food and the beer,” Mr Rhode said.
“We have tonnes of repeat customers which is really what you want.”
Mr Rhode said weeknights were quieter now the tourist season had ended but it had not dampened business.
“The hardest part about running any restaurant is going into the slow season but we haven’t really seen that much of a downturn,” he said.
“Last weekend we were full house and flat out all evening so that was good.”
Mr Rhode prided himself on his mid-strength beer with a slight chocolatey note and his fluffy pizza which he claimed had the “best dough you’d ever eaten”.
He said he perfected his recipe as a young bloke under the strict guidance of an old Italian man.
The pizza toppings air more of his American influence.
He said Pizza & Porter’s number one seller so far came as no surprise.
“We’ve got a dozen different pizzas that we make but if I go back and look on the computer at what’s sold over the last three months, the meat lovers is always there right on top,” he said.
“The one I wouldn’t think would sell is number two — the Hawaiian.”
Mr Rhode said he had only made a few recipe adjustments to satisfy the Aussie tastebuds but for the most part he “set out with a plan and was sticking to it”.
“We’ve got certain recipes we won’t alter because the flavours are designed to complement each other,” he said.
“Our chicken wings is one of the ones we’ve had to play with the most because of different level of spices for different people.
“I have a fairly high tolerance for spice but not everybody does.”
He said he was more flexible with adjusting pizzas if it did not diminish quality.
“I don’t mind as long as people don’t try to put too much on a pizza because you put too much on and you ruin it — it doesn’t cook properly and the flavours don’t blend together properly,” he said.
Pizza & Porter opened on April 1 at Centrepoint Arcade.
