We were lucky to catch up with Stefanie James recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stefanie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
I’ve had many “regular jobs” in the past. Now that I’m a Grocery Store General Manager for a Non-profit (StarkFresh) and run a pizza business (Slice Slice Baby). I could never go back to a regular job. I realize now that my opinions and ideas matter. Enjoying what I do now has built my confidence up and made me realize that I do have a lot of input to give.
Stefanie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Stef. I have two older kids, one of which works for me. I’ve grown up in Canton, Ohio.
I worked my first pizza job at 17. I’ve been in the pizza-making business on and off for over 20 years, and also had other restaurant jobs as well. I was used to taking other people’s orders and following their recipes. Now I run a pizza business where my business partner, Lex, and I have come up with our own recipes. We run a 90’s themed pizza joint where we are always having a blast, keeping things casual and always being ourselves! It really is a dream come true.
Our menu items are:
“Pretty Fly”- Pepperoni and 3 cheese blend
“So Cheesy”- House-made 3 cheese blend
“Eat The Meat”- Ham, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, 3 cheese blend
“Wicked Hot”- hot banana peppers, sausage, pepperoni, cholula hot sauce,cheese, 3 cheese blend
“The Lilith”- Mushrooms, tomato, black olives, green pepper, red onion, broccoli microgreens, 3 cheese blend
“Aloha”- bacon, ham, pineapple, 3 cheese blend
“Taco ‘Bout It”- taco seasoned sausage, cheddar cheese, 3 cheese blend
“My Tender Roni”- pepperoni and 3 cheese blend, stromboli
“Presto Pesto”- green pepper, red onion, spinach, hot banana peppers, black olives, tomato, pesto, 3 cheese blend stromboli
“The Popeye”- spinach, chicken, tomato, mushroom, onion, 3 cheese blend stromboli
“Not an Im-pasta”- locally made fresh pasta, served with our pasta sauce
Our dough is homemade. We shred and mix our own 3 cheese blend. We add a special topping to all products, “Stef’s Topping”.
Lex and I run Slice Slice Baby out of a Non-profit Grocery Store, StarkFresh, in Canton Ohio (321 Cherry Ave NE Canton, OH 44702) on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month. This is one of the two stores that I manage. Lex and I run the pizza business and I’m also managing the store at the same time.
I’m most proud of the fact that our menu reflects on our personalities- it’s funny and creative!
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I was working for a company as a “Head Expeditor”, and was let go at the start of the pandemic.
I started a position at a corporate pizza shop, where I met Lex, my business partner. We quickly became friends. We were one of the few corporate pizza shops that stayed open during the pandemic. Just like many others, we were overworked and underpaid. It was extremely draining. I knew then that something needed to change. I was also getting ready to turn 40 and was re-evaluating my life.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
We created a Facebook and Instagram account, printed flyers to put in the store, but most importantly, we personally took flyers to businesses around our city. We wanted to introduce ourselves and “Taco “Bout it” (lol). It’s important to us to reach out and be personable. Although we have a decent following on Social Media, I believe word of mouth has been the most effective for us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.starkfresh.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sliceslicebabypizzajoint/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557606356728
