Loyal diners, unique food sustain The Pizza House

It's 5 p.m., and Dee Smith is doing what she's done almost every evening for the past 43 years. She's making pizza.

This isn't some run-of-the-mill pizza, mind you. This pizza is made from Smith's own special recipe, and no, she won't tell you what ingredients are in her secret sauce or her pizza's trademark crunchy crust.

Smith has been dishing up her own special brand of pizza since 1958. That's the year she and her late husband, J.L. Smith, opened The Pizza House.

Prior to opening The Pizza House, the Smiths ran three restaurants in Waynesville. Running three restaurants took its toll, however, and when Dee Smith's weight dropped to 94 pounds, she decided it was time to cut back.

The couple sold their three restaurants and moved to Springfield. Shortly thereafter, they opened The Pizza House, which is tucked away in the corner of the shopping center at the intersection of Glenstone Ave-nue and Bennett Street.

The Smiths didn't advertise or offer free delivery; nor did they put up a big neon sign to direct hungry customers to their business. However, their unique pizza quickly attracted a following.

Back then, The Pizza House was a neighborhood restaurant. Today, The Pizza House still is considered a neighborhood rest-aurant, yet it attracts many customers who live throughout Springfield. That's a little unus-ual, particularly if you consider the number of restaurants and carryout businesses that serve pizza.

There's something special about the pizza at The Pizza House. Maybe it's the sauce. Then again, maybe it's the cheese. Smith only uses real cheese, not cheese food, be-cause "real cheese melts better and tastes better."

Perhaps it's the homemade crust, which is made fresh daily. Pizzas made at The Pizza House feature a wafer-thin crust dominated by fresh toppings.

Then again, some customers may come back just so they can visit with Smith, who prepares pizzas on a large table in the middle of the restaurant.

Outspoken and friendly, Smith has been known to share a story about her latest scuba- diving adventure while she rolls out pizza dough. According to Smith, scuba diving is the latest "bad habit" she's acquired, and it's one of the reasons she continues to work at The Pizza House.

"It's takes money to go on these dive trips," she said. "That's why I keep working."

However, Smith doesn't plan to keep working forever. Jason Moody, who is the manager of the Pizza House, became a part owner in 1996. Smith also re-cently hired Mark Giacin, who eventually will step in for her and serve as cook.

However, Giacin won't be changing the menu, according to Smith. In fact, the Pizza House's menu hasn't changed since the restaurant opened in 1958.

The Pizza House serves piz-za, salad, soda, tea and coffee period. You won't find any fancy salad bar here. Nor will you find chicken, pasta, sandwiches or other entrees on the menu. The Pizza House doesn't deliver to customers' homes, and the restaurant isn't open for lunch. That's because Smith believes in keeping it simple.

"I do what I do, and I do it well," Smith said. "When something works, you don't mess with it. I serve pizza made my way."

Translation: Smith doesn't take any special orders. Still, her recipe for success continues to attract diners, many of whom are very loyal. Recently, for example, The Pizza House closed for nearly a week after Smith suffered a serious spider bite and Moody threw out his back. For many businesses, suddenly shutting down for a week would be fatal.

"We opened back up, and it was like we were never gone," Smith said. "Many of our customers have been coming here since we opened. In fact, I had a 98-year-old lady celebrate her birthday here the other day. She had her one-month-old great-great-granddaughter with her, which means I've served five generations of customers."

Over the years, dining at the Pizza House has become a tradition to many Springfieldians. Smith said she would like that tradition to continue and be-lieves it will, thanks to Moody and Giacin.

"I want to be the whip," said Smith. "I'm ready to stand back and supervise and let them do the work."