Party Bear Pizza
"'One of [Ward's] first impressions about the city was its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, and he couldn't help but feel moved to be a part of it. 'One thing that stood out to me about St. Louis is that this is a place where I could try something,' Ward says. 'I was inspired seeing what my friends were doing on Cherokee or in the Grove, and I wanted to be a part of that. I felt like this was a place I could try something, so I figured, why not give it a shot?'"
-- Riverfront Times, 10/22/2019
I have been involved in the restaurant industry in some form or another since 1995, when my parents bought Pizza Unlimited in Rushville, IL. It was always a dream of mine to open up my own little pizza spot, and in 2019 I made this a reality after learning about the business side from the ground up, securing permits, start up costs, licenses and all the fun that goes with starting your own small business.
I opened up my own small restaurant inside The Silver Ballroom pinball bar with a then-partner: Party Bear Pizza and Tiny Chef, a pizza and Korean street food window. This full-time side business was an incredible success, and I sold my physical share in 2020 to instead continue working as a full time writer.
I continue to sell Party Bear Pizza locally as the best frozen pizza and dipping sauce in St. Louis, with plans for national licensing and distribution in the future.
