Randy & Brenda Baker, the owners of Fast Eddie’s Pizza, proud of their staff
Fast Eddie’s Pizza in Bellville, Ohio
Fast Eddie’s Pizza in Bellville, Ohio
Bellville – Fast Eddie’s Pizza at 59 Main St. made it onto Yelp’s list of the top 100 pizzerias in the Midwest this week, according to an article in USA TODAY.
Fast Eddie’s ranks 29th among the top 10 pizzerias in the Midwest according to Yelp.
“This year’s rankings, released Tuesday, include all types of pizza, from Detroit-style square pizza to Chicago’s famous deep-dish pies. There are also new takes on Chicago tavern pizza and the classic St. Louis pizza, which has a thick crust that looks almost like a cracker,” said Kathy Passero, who helped research and compile the Yelp Top 100, the Gannett parent company’s newspaper reported.
Randy and Brenda Baker are the owners of Fast Eddie’s Pizza near the Richland B&O Trail.
Brenda Baker said she has been in business at the location for 35 years, starting out making pizzas behind a huge house that served as a stagecoach stop decades ago. She also initially operated a video store there.
Her husband, Randy, a 1977 graduate of Clear Fork High School, had the new business built, although Brenda said she had always wanted to renovate the old Civil War-era house. He did all of the interior decorating and woodwork at Fast Eddie’s, with awnings. Brenda said she had him model it after the awnings at the Bellagio Las Vegas.
The restaurant inside has tin ceilings and the decor of a cozy Italian pizzeria, but the menu is huge, Brenda Baker said.
Brenda Baker and her team travel to food shows each year, including Las Vegas, Toledo, Columbus and more, to bring new ideas to the Bellville restaurant. The latest products are Spicy Kahuna Pizza and two new flavors of pepperoni pizza. The team also offers catering.
“That’s why we have such a huge menu,” she said of her staff’s desire to offer items they see at the food fairs at Fast Eddie’s.
She is self-taught, has experience in the catering industry and wanted to open a pizzeria because “back then” there were not many options for eating pizza in Bellville.
She said she has a great staff with some employees in their 20s and 30s.
She graduated from Mapleton High School in 1979 and said the news report in USA Today was “a little overwhelming.”
What makes Fast Eddie’s Pizza pizzas so popular?
“We make our own pizza dough and our own sauce,” she said, all recipes developed at Fast Eddie’s.
Offering pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, stromboli and more, the restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and delivery. Fast Eddie’s also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Hours of operation are: Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. To contact the restaurant staff, call 419-886-3115.
419-521-7223
X: @LWhitmir
