After operating Hillbilly Willy's in the Chattanooga area for 17 years, George and Angela Foster have traded barbecue for pizza and opened up a craft pizzeria in Ooltewah.
In a way, they're returning home. Angela grew up in Ooltewah, and they live and raised their kids in the unincorporated area in east Hamilton County. The first rendition of Hillbilly Willy's was in Ooltewah before they moved the business to Lookout Valley, George's hometown, and where they've operated for 15 years.
But in early 2022, they got an unexpected notice by email - the owner of their building was converting the property into a storage facility, and they had 60 days to vacate. So they began to search for a space for a future pizza place and opened Georgi's in July.
(READ MORE: What opened and closed in the Chattanooga region in July 2022)
The menu at Georgi's is simple but unique - Chicago-style pizza on a New York-style crust - folded edges and fresh ingredients under a layer of cheese.
Patrons have the option to build their own pie or choose from a list of specialty flavors, like a popular three-cheese tortellini grilled chicken pizza with a white sauce.
"We're not the cheapest pizza place in town by any means. It's a craft pizza," Angela said an interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
George added that there isn't really a comparison to their business in the market.
"We give you 100% mozzarella. No three-blend homogenized garbage," George said in the interview. "We cut our own vegetables, make our own meats that we can. So you ask if there's any place else in town like it, there's not, and that's what brings people through the door."
Switching from barbecue to pizza may seem like an interesting transition, but those who know the couple and their former business are likely less surprised.
(Meet the chef: Hillbilly Willy's owner shares tips for great barbecue and a surprising recipe)
Hillbilly Willy's was already home to "Italian Thursdays" after George trained with Nino Piccolo, a Sicilian architect he knew from his own days as an architect, and wanted to feature the cuisine once a week. And with today's supply chain and economy, pizza seemed like a financially smarter choice.
"We had people driving from all over to eat pizza at Italian night at our barbecue restaurant. And that's when he finally said, 'We've got to do something,'" Angela said. "We were working 60, 70 hours a week driving that far out there so we got the email and we felt like it was just an answer to a prayer because we couldn't keep going."
And they haven't completely given up on barbecue. Their menu still features their barbecue chicken on a pizza, and they plan on adding the pork one day, as a homage to the old business and to help keep their trademark on the old logo, which is still featured on the pizza menu and on bottles of barbecue sauce in the restaurant that they may one day sell again when life slows down.
Even though it's a bit of a drive, regulars of their old business patronize their new endeavor.
"We've been amazed at how many people have driven from Lookout Valley to get a pizza and hang out with us for a while," George said.
If you go
Georgi's Pizzeria Location: 5910 Reagan Lane, Suite 105, Ooltewah, Tenn., 37363 Hours: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday Menu: Build-your-own and specialty craft pizzas, including appetizers like dough balls and gluten and ketogenic diet-friendly pizza bowls. Website: georgispizzeria.com. Phone: 423-910-1330.
With almost two decades of experience in the food service industry, the couple has found unique challenges since the start of the pandemic. The business has struggled to find staff and is still hiring to meet the high customer demand they've already found in the new location.
They hope that people will be patient as they work to hire more help.
"There have been several Thursday nights where there was not a place to sit, and it's just [Angela] and a 15-year-old here trying to run the whole front and then one person in the back trying to do the kitchen," George said. "I wish people would learn to be more patient and understand that, you know, we're doing all, not just us, all the companies are doing the best they can to keep up. We just don't have the staff."
(READ MORE: Chattanooga-area labor shortages persist even as unemployment rates edge higher)
To fill in the gaps, it's been a family effort. Everyone has pitched in to help while staffing is short - from their children helping with social media to Angela's mom helping fold pizza boxes.
"We can honestly say family owned and operated from the electrician to the website to the social media," Angela said. "We're so blessed, but the amount of family that has come around us and friends that have supported us when they saw a need has helped us make it from July to where we are now until we got the staff that we got."
And they're working to make sure that those who come by also feel a part of their community.
"So many of our friends lost their businesses during COVID," Angela said. "It broke our heart because what makes Chattanooga so special to me is the mom and pops. When you come in here, George does everything he can to get out of that kitchen and walk around and talk to every table.
"I'm always out front kind of monitoring to make sure everybody's happy and they're greeted when they come through the door."
The restaurant is at 5910 Reagan Lane in Ooltewah and is open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Contact Tierra Hayes at thayes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6693. Follow her on Twitter @TierraBHayes.