MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP — Donna Delvecchio would be pleased to know her customers are happy.
The founder and former owner of Donna D’s Pizza launched her eatery as a delivery and carry-out only establishment in 1974 on Cleveland Avenue.
Under new ownership, which has stayed true to her recipes, Donna D’s Pizza customers can now dine-in, as well as take out, in a new and larger location.
The new location opened on June 26 after roughly seven months of renovation.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday afternoon at 738 U.S. 250 with the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce made the newly renovated location official.
The new site has a new ceiling and kitchen, offering twice the oven space as its previous building.
Rick and Liz Pierce took ownership of the business six years ago from Delvecchio’s grandson, Mike Deaton.
Danny Pierce, their son, manages the restaurant. Although the Pierce’s are not related to Delvecchio, they were avid customers, so they were committed to upholding the restaurant’s quality.
Since the opening, long-time staff member Tom Thompson said the restaurant has been busy all the time. On a typical Friday evening, Thompson estimates the kitchen receives 200 tickets from dine-in orders alone.
Thompson started working at Donna D’s in 1995. He knew Donna Delvecchio before going to work for her. But after working for her, he was proud to call her a “dear friend.”
Delvecchio passed away in April, but the new owners continue to honor her recipes and food quality.
When the Pierce’s gained ownership, they worked hard to re-establish Donna D’s as a high quality, local pizza place.
They consulted with Delvecchio about how she ran the restaurant and what ingredients she used and where she ordered them from. They collaborated with local schools and sporting events to offer pizza at concessions.
Danny Pierce said the outreach effort helped them reconnect with the community and Donna D’s continued to see increased sales, prompting the move to a larger location not far from Interstate 71.
“We knew we were going to outgrow the building,” Danny said.
In addition to the new dining area, Danny said the staff has doubled and Donna D’s is open for lunch every day — a dining time that was previously only offered on Fridays.
Now Donna D’s is a member of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce. The Pierce’s ribbon-cutting ceremony included a pizza feast for guests.
Danny Pierce said being a part of the chamber will allow Donna D’s to continue to grow as a community staple.
