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room inside, as well as an ample outdoor dining area. The pizzas served at the restaurant
are Ryan’s own style. “I call it Mississippi-style,” he says. “They are fully loaded edge to edge
so that there are toppings in every bite.” Guests can order one of the specialty pizzas offered,
or build their own, choosing their preference for crust (regular or thin and crispy), sauces
(marinara, spicy marinara, comeback, barbeque, alfredo, queso or garlic ranch), and toppings.
Some of Pizza Shack’s specialty pizzas include the Great American Burger, Thai Chicken,
Andy’s Buffalo Ranch Chicken, Italian Cowboy, Kitchen Sink and The Diamond. The restaurant
also offers specialty sandwiches, including roast beef dip, Italian sub and Philly cheesesteak.
Sandwiches can also be made to order. In addition to pizzas and sandwiches, Pizza Shack
offers salads, wings and other appetizers, and desserts, including milkshakes.
“We use the freshest ingredients possible,” says Ryan. “We chop fresh vegetables daily
and source the best ingredients we can.” Producing new and inventive menu items is
important for any restaurant, and Kyle says he has partnered with Kyle Curcio, who has
come up with a lot of great pizzas for the company. “Kyle is also helping me with our
downtown Brandon location, which we plan to open next year.” Ryan also has a location
in the old Bank of Clinton building, constructed in 1905. “I am a big history buff, he says.
“I have a lot of fun taking old buildings and giving them new life.”
While the food is important, having the right staff is critical to the success of the business.
Ryan says his staff is exceptional. “The ultimate goal of any entrepreneur is for his employees
to care about the business. I can say that our employees do. They have a personal stake in
the business. I love mentoring people, and it’s been rewarding to see some of our employees
rise to management positions and buying homes. My goal is to develop our people into
potential owners as we expand the business. We do all we can to take care of our employees.
In fact, during the pandemic we were able to raise their pay and offer medical insurance.”
The pandemic required Ryan to pivot a bit, restricting indoor dining for a while, and
offering curbside pickup. “We feel like we have come out of the pandemic both stronger
and better. At our Madison store, we are now doing in a weekend what we used to do in a
week.” Prior to the pandemic, Ryan says the store participated in many community projects.
“We did a lot of fun stuff before Covid, and we are looking forward to doing that again. Just
recently we gave away pizza at Madison’s annual movie night, which was cancelled last
year. It was nice for us to give something back to the community again.”
Ryan has been married to his wife, Mary Grace, for seven years. “She helps me
when we open a new store. She is my best friend, and the person I go to for
advice.” Ryan and Mary Grace don’t have children, but they do have fur babies
they adore. “I feel like my employees are my family as well. I work a lot, especially
since the pandemic, but I like what I do, so I don’t even think about it as work. I
think it’s important for the leader of the company to be there, and for me, it’s a place
I enjoy being every day.”
Hometown MADISON • 15