By Arthur E. Foulkes
TERRE HAUTE — A name change is coming to the Pizza King on east Poplar Street.
“Pizza Pit Stop” is already the name on the pizza boxes at the restaurant and the large outdoor sign should change before the end of the year, said Vern Simrell, owner of the business.
Simrell has owned the Pizza King on east Poplar Street for seven years, he said. The name change has been in the works for about six months, he said.
In addition to a new name, the Pizza Pit Stop will add some new items to its menu, Simrell said.
The restaurant will remain part of the Pizza King franchise, but also will offer hand-tossed and crispy crust pizza, he said. The restaurant, which employs about 14 people, already offers spaghetti, salads and sandwiches, in addition to pizza.
The name Pizza Pit Stop stems from Simrell’s involvement in racing, he said. The restaurant, which is across from Woodrow Wilson Middle School at 24th and Poplar streets, will eventually have a racing theme, he said.
Simrell, who has worked in the restaurant business most of his life, managed the Pizza King on Poplar for a year before buying the business, he said. His grandfather owned Simrell’s Bar on South Seventh Street at one time and Vern Simrell started working in the tavern’s kitchen while still in junior high school, he said. “I guess [the restaurant business] is in my blood.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
