Godfather?s Pizza adds Ozark location

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For Ozark-area residents, there's a new "don" in town. |ret||ret||tab|

Godfather's Pizza opened a carry-out and delivery restaurant there in June, according to owner Mike Sidwell, who also owns the Godfather's Pizza in Nixa at highways 160 and CC. The Ozark store is located at 612 E. South St. |ret||ret||tab|

Sidwell said he worked for Godfather's for 11 years in St. Joseph, and his wife, Chris, worked there for 13 years. The Sidwells moved to southwest Missouri in 1992 and Mike Sid-well worked for several other pizza restaurants, including Mazzio's, Pizza Inn and Mr. Gatti's, then bought the Nixa Mr. Gatti's location and changed the franchise to Godfather's Pizza in 1996.|ret||ret||tab|

"When we moved to this area, there was no Godfather's so we decided, why not?'" Sidwell said. |ret||ret||tab|

Opening a second store in a smaller market is easier for restaurants, Sidwell said. |ret||ret||tab|

"In Ozark, we can open up one store. In Springfield, we would've had to open up at least two right away ... it's just something that you would need to do for a city that size. You would need to open up a second store within six months," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Still, Sidwell's not ruling anything out in terms of future expansion.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're looking for the right time. We'd been at (the Nixa) location for five years before we opened one up in Ozark. And you know, it could be another five years before we go into Springfield ... if we ever do," Sidwell said.|ret||ret||tab|

Like many business owners, Sidwell said finding good employees will be a key factor in any future growth plans.|ret||ret||tab|

"You need good people that you can trust, that work hard and have concern for others to run these stores," he added. |ret||ret||tab|

The Nixa Godfather's Pizza has 20 employees, and there are 14 employees at the Ozark location. Thus far, Sidwell said, there has been a good stream of customers at the Ozark store. |ret||ret||tab|

"We had a lot of Ozark customers frequently coming (to Nixa). That was one of the reasons I looked into Ozark,"|ret||ret||tab|

There are 549 Godfather's Pizza restaurants in the United States, with about 25 in the Kansas City area, he said. |ret||ret||tab|

Sidwell's Nixa store offers a fully stocked buffet, a party room and a game room with a ticket redemption center, and Sidwell said it's one of only five Godfather's Pizza locations to have a game room. |ret||ret||tab|

The Nixa eatery also has an unusual customer base for a Godfather's Pizza.|ret||ret||tab|

"The customer base here is senior citizens and middle-aged adults with families, young kids," he said. "The normal customer base for a Godfather's is the 18 to 30 range, young adults, a place you go out (to) and take a date."[[In-content Ad]]