SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — October marks some major milestones for Pizza House – 65 years of operation and 15 years in their current home on C-Street. 

Many of the customers who regularly visit Pizza House on C-Street followed the restaurant from its original location at Glenstone and Bennett.

Stephanie Grevillius is a long-time customer at Pizza House, saying, “It’s one of our favorite places.”

Retired Air Force veterans Dee Smith and Pat Clay opened Pizza House in October of 1958, but in 2008 the restaurant was forced to find a new home because of issues with the landlord at the time.

“We had to find something real quick,” said Stacey Schneider, owner of Pizza House. “Found it up here on C-Street and we picked up our booths and our ovens and our attitudes, walked out the door and started everything new and fresh over here.”

It may be a different building, but some things have stayed the same, including the thin hand-tossed crust, homemade dough and sauce and even some of the booths from the original building.

Schneider first worked for Pizza House when she was 15 and is a well-known face throughout the restaurant.

“A lot of these couples that I still know today that are becoming great grandparents,” Schnieder said. “Some of their first dates that they ever went on was over there at that Bennett and Glenstone location.”

Now Schnieder said C-Street feels like home, and her workers and customers are like family.

“So, when she came barreling up to the old Pizza House location and said, I think I’ve got a place for you, and she told me it was on C-Street, I was like, Oh, let’s get going,” Schnieder said. “And it was it was just a perfect fit. You could fit. You could just feel it couldn’t have done any better. Things happen for a reason, for sure.”

“They know what we want when we come in,” Grevillius said. “It’s like, Oh, and they just put our order in. It’s fantastic.”

Customers keep coming back for the atmosphere, the people, and of course the pizza. 

“I would encourage anybody to come,” Grevillius said. “It’s a great Springfield secret.”

Pizza House is open Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.