East Coast pizza finds fans out West
POST FALLS – Before he opened the doors for the first time, Nate Banner, owner of Nate’s New York Pizza, found some former East Coasters waiting in his parking lot.
“There were eight of them waiting at 10:30 a.m. – just waiting for me to turn my ‘open’ sign on. They came in, and all got a slice and then bought a 24-inch pizza and took it back to their work.”
Banner continued: “Yeah, they gave me a standing ovation before they left. … It was pretty funny.”
Banner learned to make New York-style pizza from his former employer. “He went to New York and got some recipes from a little pizza store in Brooklyn, and then we spent months perfecting them.”
Recognizing the popularity of the pizza among West Coast palates, Banner and his brother soon were opening stores across Oregon for their employer. “We opened four stores in 5 ½ years – and they’re all doing really well,” Banner said.
With the chance to open their own stores, the brothers branched out – one starting a store in Prineville, Ore., and Nate Banner opening the store in Post Falls.
Banner had been a longtime fan of North Idaho, having worked here seven years ago. He never forgot his desire to back move to the area.
“I always wanted to move up here because it’s gorgeous. There’s like 50 lakes within 20 miles of here, so that’s great. … But I won’t get a chance to get out this year,” he said, recognizing the demands of starting a business.
So what makes a New York-style pizza?
“The difference is everything,” said Banner, “the ingredients in your dough, the ingredients in your sauce. I make my own dough fresh every day, and I grate fresh mozzarella and cook my own sausage every morning. The brick ovens are a big part of it – and the thin crust.”
Banner hand-tosses each pizza. Watching him toss those 24-inch pies is really something. “I spin ‘em – and people, especially kids, really love it.” Banner says he can’t believe how many people have come in and said they are from back East.
“I’ve had 50 or 60 East Coasters in the week and a half since we opened, and at least half of them have been back more than once,” he said. “When they come in, they’re skeptical at first – ‘Is this real New York pizza?’ Then they sit down, eat it and say, ‘Geez, it’s like I’m home again.’ “
Some of these people come in two or three times a day just to buy another slice of pizza, Banner added.
Banner’s favorite thing about his new business?
“Working for myself, really. It’s just a little more fun when you’re doing it for yourself,” said the young entrepreneur.
But he admitted the 13-hour days are getting to him. He said he and his girlfriend, Zelda Hoffman , who has worked just as many hours as he has, are looking forward to hiring a crew soon.
Banner, whose parents moved to the area five years ago on his recommendation, has gotten a lot of help from family members in starting his business. They helped him during the two months it took to put the restaurant together and have helped him run the place since it opened.
“I’ve been trying to teach my mom how to spin pizza. She comes in at night and helps me out – she’s getting pretty good at it,” Banner said.
The usual Italian touches are not for this little pizzeria. A rich, golden two-tone wall color and a vibrantly colored concrete floor add to the welcoming atmosphere. A large counter dominates the space, which is sprinkled with comfortable wrought-iron chairs and tables.
Black-and-white prints of famous New York baseball players splash the walls – Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio. Banner sells whole pies, pizza by the slice, salads, calzones and sandwiches, including chicken Parmesan and meatball.
He is awaiting a liquor license so he can offer beer and wine.
“Those New Yorkers really want their Guinness,” said Banner. “They say, ‘When you get Guinness in here, we’re never leaving.’ “