Artisan pizza at your fingertips

It’s dinnertime and everyone is clamoring for pizza – and not just any pizza. They want one of LouEddie’s artisan pies.

LouEddie’s is located in Skyforest on Highway 18 and has become a favorite not only of local folks but of visitors and pizza critics across the nation. On busy nights, there can be a lengthy wait for one of their artisan pizzas (just head down to the tavern and enjoy one of their local brews while you wait – often there is music by local musicians to listen to).

Aware of the demand for her pizzas, owner Louise York began experimenting with creating a frozen take-and-bake pizza to sell at the restaurant.

“We wanted to create an option for people who don’t want a long wait,” York said. “We worked really hard for six months to create a really good frozen pizza.

“I ate a lot of bad frozen pizza over that time,” she quipped.

But in December 2020, York said, “We hit it!”

Since then, she has been surprised at the number of people who buy the five varieties they offer at the restaurant. Some people, she said, buy 10 or 15 at a time.

“We created a supply and demand issue.”

The big news now is that LouEddie’s has partnered with Goodwin & Son’s Market to offer their frozen pizzas at the Crestline store.

“I had talked with Mike Johnstone in early 2021 about his interest in stocking our pizzas,” York said. “We have a strong relationship with them – they are so innovative.”

“My wife and I have been customers of LouEddie’s since their opening,” Johnstone said, “and absolutely love their product. When Lou started her take-and-bake program, she reached out to us to discuss a partnership. We were on board from day one.

“We feel LouEddie’s company values are very similar to ours. They have seen great success due to their unique flavors and quality product as well as an amazing staff. We focus on those same things in our operation so it worked out to be a great fit culturally.

“We are very excited to work together and to be an extra outlet to sell their delicious products,” Johnstone added.
York noted they are in the process of building their first production kitchen just to make these kinds of products.

Right now, she noted, they are making good use of any slow time – early morning, late night – to create these take-and-bake pizzas.

“I am driven by accomplishment,” York said. “I see this as good for the staff. This opportunity is significant for the team.”

York points out a major difference between her frozen pizzas and those offered by national companies. “How long was that product made before you actually eat it?” she posed. “We are in the category of fresh-frozen.” LouEddie’s frozen pizzas are made right down the street just a matter of days before they go home to Goodwin’s customers’ freezers.

Three of LouEddie’s pizzas are available at Goodwin’s: an artisan cheese pizza; the LouEddie’s special with LouEddie’s sauce (pizza and pesto), mozzarella, homemade sausage, pepperoni, caramelized onions, mushrooms; and the Beginner’s Run with pizza sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni.

And what was the reaction of Goodwin’s customers to the arrival of the LouEddie’s pizzas?

“We sold 70 percent of the first delivery in the first afternoon,” said Jessica Johnstone. “I would say the reaction was very positive!”