Business Monday: Hilo Pizza Co. serving up New York-style pies and slices that patrons can customize

In an inconspicuous part of the Puaniakō Center in Hilo, Tom Elliott gave the pizza business a second shot, and for the past three years has been serving New York-style pies he perfected in San Francisco.

But the 50-year old from the Bay Area in California did not think he would ever again pursue opening a restaurant after having to close the pizzeria he operated in the Mission District of San Francisco from 2013 to 2015 due to the competition that made it difficult to break even every month.

In 2019, Elliott and his wife, Sarah, moved to the Big Island to be closer to her family. He was working a “9 to 5” job as a retail manager and started to miss the dynamic chaos of the restaurant industry and the creativity of developing a menu.

“My business partner and I saw that there was this space for sale and with some gentle nudging from my lovely wife, I decided to try my hand at owning a restaurant again,” Elliott said. “I had learned a lot from the first place, especially what not to do.”

So in 2023, Elliott opened Hilo Pizza Co. in a small space, which fits 18 people inside and 8 people outside, that used to be another pizza business that closed in 2022.

One of the things Elliott realized in Hilo was that there weren’t any pizza places that serve grab-and-go slices and meal deals. He and his partner decided to fill that niche to set Hilo Pizza Co. apart.

But there was one major challenge: Elliott and his wife, Sarah, lived in Waimea.

“Opening a restaurant is difficult,” Elliott said. “There are so many things that need to be worked out daily, so I was here, sometimes for 16 hours, every day for a few months. But now, we live in Hilo, and we’ve been open for over three years, which is amazing, and I feel proud that people like the quality of our food.”

Elliott has spent years perfecting the ingredients used for the dough, which is made from scratch and used for the pizzas as well as calzones.

“I was fortunate enough to take a training course in Sorrento, Italy to learn how the people of Naples, who invented pizza, make their famous dish,” Elliott said.

According to Elliott, it doesn’t take any unordinary ingredients to create a great dough, but it did take finding the perfect ratio by trial and error to create his unique crust.

While the menu includes specialty pizzas and calzones like kalua, bruschetta and chicken taco, customers are also encouraged to create their own unique slice.

“We have fresh ingredients, and we source locally as much as possible,” Elliott said. “I actually get incredible basil from a local hydroponic farm that has been a game-changer.”

He added: “My favorite part of the job is experimenting with the menu and seeing what people like.”

Customers have been finding the pizza shop, which is located between OʻReilly’s Auto Parts and Sack-N-Save in the shopping center. 

“One of the surprising things for me was how quickly we got repeat customers and the general demeanor of the people coming in for lunch or dinner,” Elliott said. “We have genuine, friendly customers that will talk with me and employees while they sit for a quick meal.”

Elliott said Hilo has provided a much healthier place to run a business. While San Francisco is bustling, there was too much competition that made it difficult to thrive.

“There are over 4,000 restaurants concentrated in a small area, and that competition can stomp out a restaurant quickly,” Elliott said. “That is why I was a little nervous about trying this again at first, but I’m grateful for my very smart wife who was encouraging enough to get me to do it.”

When he reaches his fourth year of business in 2027, Elliott has goals to offer more opportunities to the community and work with more small businesses when it comes to sourcing ingredients.

“Last year, I was able to host a pizza-making workshop for Girl Scouts, and it was a fun activity for them to earn a patch and easy for me to pull off,” Elliott said. “I do think in this current world we are living in, it is important to lift each other up. I have no plans to expand physically, so I want to expand in those ways if I can.”

Elliott wants to keep Hilo Pizza Co. a simple place where anyone can get a full pie or even just a slice of New York-style pizza with quality ingredients at a good value.

“I look back and I’m not always sure how I ended up owning a pizza place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but I’ve been grateful since we opened,” Elliott said.

Hilo Pizza Co. is located at 2100 Kanoelehua Ave. and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Hilo Pizza Co. is also hiring individuals eager to learn and work well in a team. Kitchen experience is a plus, but not required. For those interested, drop by to fill out an application or drop off a resume, or email hilopizzacompany@gmail.com.