Rachel Richardson reports:
Marion’s Piazza manager John Davis knew the restaurant would be a hit when he opened the doors for lunch and was greeted by a party of 30 hungry guests.
The Dayton-based chain celebrated the grand opening of its newest restaurant — its ninth overall — Tuesday at the corner of Tylersville and Snider roads in Mason.
The Mason opening marks the company’s first Greater Cincinnati location.
“We were real busy,” said Davis of the lunch crowd. “Everybody said, ‘We can’t wait until you get here.’”
- Photos: Marion’s Piazza opens in Mason
The 11,000-square-foot Mason location employs about 50 people and seats 520, including 70 in an outdoor patio and 100 in a private banquet room. Carry out service is also offered.
Marion’s is one of the first developments to break ground on the 9-acre site owned by Everybody’s Farm Inc. A dermatologist office is slated for another lot, according to Jeff Eichhom of Henkle, Schueler & Associates, whose sister company, Bunnell Hill Development Co. Inc., is the project’s developer.
The chain’s success lies in its pizza, known as Dayton-style pizza, said Roger Glass, company president. The crust is thin and pies are cut in bite-size squares instead of slices, he said.
Eighty-five percent of the company’s sales are pizza; other fare includes salads, sandwiches, lasagna and spaghetti.
“We must be doing something right. We keep setting records for business every year,” said Glass. “If you come to Marion’s, you’ve got to be hungry for pizza.”
Mason proved an attractive area for expansion because it is a populous area with a solid base of industry and other development, said Glass. Mason is also close to the company’s Dayton-based commissary, which ships out fresh dough daily.
Linda Bonnell of Loveland got hooked on Marion’s in the 1990s after her child’s basketball team played in the area. She was at the restaurant on opening day for dinner.
“We couldn’t wait until this one opened,” she said. “The pizza is wonderful, absolutely the best.
Restaurant hours are 10:30 a.m. -11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant is at 6176 Soundwave Blvd. and can be reached at 513-398-9998.
