62 replies to this topic

[Mr_E_Squirrel]

I remember the Pizza Pieman on Esquimalt Rd, Where the bottle return is now beside the Cambie...

I passed a "Mr Mikes" last month in Duncan is that anything like the old Mr Mikes we had here at Town and Country and on the strip in Langford??

[Langford Rat]

I had a Mike Burger there last year. They still serve 'em up on that chunk of toasted French bread. Not bad, but not quite as I remembered (then again, what is?) I was a little bummed not to see that giant salad bar you used to be able to get as an add-on for a couple of bucks.

[LJ]

During our summer bike runs we stop in Mikes in Duncan once a month. Always enjoyed their Mikeburger. It doesn't taste quite as good as I remember as a kid, but hardly anything is as good as I remember it being!!

[glenalan54]

I remember it as a popular local chain with quite upscale sit-down dining. Some restaurants in the late 70s were almost as nice looking as the Keg, not like the bleak take-out counters of G-Man's era.

One branch was downstairs in the James Bay Plaza across from Thrifty Foods. It had a movie projector showing silent films.

It's funny seeing that logo reappear after so many years.


https://www.facebook...260821663983293

What other dormant local chains will pop up in the future? Brownie's Fried Chicken?

I'm sure the 2-for-1 pizza wars of the 80s played a role in their demise.

I worked for Darnorth Enterprises (Pizza Pieman) from December 1973 until August 1975. I managed the Oak Bay Pizza Pieman Store but have also worked at the TC store and the Esquimalt Store.
The Esquimalt store (beside the Halfway House on Esquimalt Road, the building is still there) contained offices upstairs and the distribution centre downstairs that provided goods for all the other outlets which included: James Bay, Colwood, Town & Country and Oak Bay.
I have quite a few great old photographs from those years taken mostly at the Oak Bay Pizza Pieman. If anyone is interested I'd be happy to scan the lot and post them on my flickr page; similar to this one I took back in the 1973:
http://www.flickr.co...ory/4462246103/

At the time I worked there Bob Darnell was the boss, Guy Langlois (spelling) was his right hand man, Dan Parker (the inspiration for the unique Pizza Pieman logo) was head of production and quite the character. Dan went on to a stellar career working for the Vic Police Department after Pieman closed.

I worked with some interesting people: the person that made the dough for the pizza's at the Esquimalt store was alergic to flour! I organized a floor hockey team and a Pizza Pieman 5-pin bowling team.
Bob, ever the inovator, purchased a fleet of AMC Gremlins that we used to deliver pizza's; I guess the thought was that they were gas efficeint. But he soon learned that they were too expensive (repairs etc) and he eventually allowed employees to use their own cars and get paid for milage.

Bob believed in supporting the Community (while boosting his business) by putting on events such as "Pizza for Palsy" where monies made that business day all (including our wages) went to fight Cerebral palsy. I remember our Oak Bay store participated in the Oak Bay Tea Party with a Pizza Pie eating contest in 1974. Those were the days.

We were very busy, especially on weekends. The days before 2 for 1 ruined the Pizza game.
I'm not sure but I do not believe the new Pizza Pieman in Burnaby has anything to do with the original.

One last comment. I recall Bob telling me that his first Pizza Pieman was located on the corner of Head & Esquimalt Roads. The Town & Country store was purchased later. Then the Pieman Empire slowly grew from there until it reached its zenith around 1977.

Many years later (2002) I opened my own pizza eat-in/take-out on Douglas Street named the Victoria Pizza Company which lasted a year. It's not the same game today that it once was, plus it's nearly impossible to compete with the giant pizza chains no matter how good your product is and how terrible there's is.

[Nparker]

...it's nearly impossible to compete with the giant pizza chains no matter how good your product is and how terrible there's is.

If it's any comfort I almost NEVER order from the chains. Cosmos is my go-to pizza standard. 100% local as far as I know.

[Phil McAvity]

The days before 2 for 1 ruined the Pizza game.

How did 2 for 1 ruin the pizza biz?

[LJ]

I'm guessing quantity over quality wins out.

[Sparky]

The two-for-one pizza thing was a hoax. A number of times I would call and order one pizza. Then I was told I could get two for the price of one.

I only want one pizza......how much would that be?

Always less than two-for-one.

[Holden West]

^I think the overall quality of pizza in the city dropped during the 2 for 1 craze. It was all about who had the cheapest pie and the cheapest pie had the cheapest, stingiest ingredients slapped together in fly-by-night establishments. It took years for the craze to die and the desire for better, diverse ingredients and a new breed of independents and quality chains to bring the standards up.

[Sparky]

^ Well said Holden.

[sebberry]

If it's any comfort I almost NEVER order from the chains. Cosmos is my go-to pizza standard. 100% local as far as I know.

There's a Cosmos very close to me and I have only had it a couple of times. Just wasn't a fan, unless things have changed.

I spent a few months working at a local post-secondary educational institution. During a lunch break I grabbed a "pizza" from the privately run campus cafeteria. It was handed to me in a box which remained closed until I returned to my desk. This is what was in it when I opened it: Yummy looking pizza.

Now I just stick with the frozen pizzas. At least they look somewhat like the picture on the box.

[Sparky]

Seb....that pizza was nasty.

[victoriacarpenter]

Was there not a Pizza Pieman at the corner of Cedar Hill and Mckenzie where JJ Morgas is? I used to remember going in there as a kid watching the cooks through a viewing window tossing pizza dough into the air.....

[VicHockeyFan]

Was there not a Pizza Pieman at the corner of Cedar Hill and Mckenzie where JJ Morgas is? I used to remember going in there as a kid watching the cooks through a viewing window tossing pizza dough into the air.....

Yes.

[gulfman]

Hi had heard that there was a Pizza Pieman coming to Colwood this year. Anyone else hear that rumour?

Yes were opening a pizza pieman on millstream near the market on millstream and a brownies recipe fried chicken, i bought the francise for both, we are alson opening both in duncan,nanaimo, port alberni and courntney, we have both francises in the states to date 30 of them, hopefully these ones will stay, for years to come, with all theold logo's recreated, including old style uniforms and cars all refurbished,hope this answers your questions,Bob,

[mysage]

Yes were opening a pizza pieman on millstream near the market on millstream and a brownies recipe fried chicken, i bought the francise for both, we are alson opening both in duncan,nanaimo, port alberni and courntney, we have both francises in the states to date 30 of them, hopefully these ones will stay, for years to come, with all theold logo's recreated, including old style uniforms and cars all refurbished,hope this answers your questions,Bob,

Really? Since the local Pizza Pieman company has been defunct for years and was never in the US how did you buy a franchise?

[HB]

I remember 3 Pizza Pieman Stores (but not in the 00' or 90s It was an institution from the early 70s )one at Colwood Corners where the Construction is now it used to be next to Shop Easy which later became Fairway Market

There was another one in the Old A&W building next to the Halfway in Esquimalt Now it is a bottle return centre and the 3rd one I remember is was on Oak Bay Ave

Only remember one Brownies which was again at Colwood Corners on Goldstream in the complex next to Thriftys think there is a chocolate store there now.


Brownies was OK but my favorite is still LEEs famous recipe which by the way will be opening in a new location at the Duncan Mall next to Tims .
The building they are constructing looks like a retro place

There was a place years ago that tried competing with the 2 for 1 crowd by offeing 3 for 1 pizza . Someone I knew actually ordered from them and the only description they gave was that the cheese was only similar in Name. It was like a piece of round plastic layed over the canned mushrooms etc and melted in place with a blow dryer



Favorite Pizza joint which is long gone was Lantern House on Tillicum. They used to put topping on top of cheese and kids (big kids too) could watch the cocks at the big window making the pizza

[LJ]

Favorite Pizza joint which is long gone was Lantern House on Tillicum. They used to put topping on top of cheese and kids (big kids too) could watch the cocks at the big window making the pizza

Oooohh my, is that even legal? I would think it would be some sort of health code violation.

[vandervalk]

Lmfao.

[Matt R.]

There was a Brownie's on Shelbourne near Feltham way back when in the 80's as I recall. We used to get chicken and take it to Mt. Doug park to eat it in the summer.

Lantern House was exceptional, Il Greco does a great job of carrying on the tradition!

Matt.