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From My Big Fat Greek pizza to the Polynesian to more traditional combinations, Amy Ross serves up tasty pizza in the dining area at Lexi's Pizza Pub on Westside Highway. Bill Wagner / The Daily News

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Talking Business: Lexington pizzeria aims for a slice of the market

Monday, June 16, 2008 12:24 AM PDT

By Erik Olson

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For now, Lexi’z Pizza Pub is the only place in Lexington to sit down for a meal and a beer.

But with a giant shopping mall slated to come into the fast-growing community, competition is right around the corner. That’s why Lexi’z new owner Amy Ross is hoping to brand the business as the best place to come and eat.

“I figure I’ve got about a year to make a name for myself,” said Ross, 33, a Longview resident.

Ross bought Lexi’z Pizza Pub in September from her older brother, Todd, who had run the business for a year. Before that, she started Kokomo Joe’s on Commerce Avenue in Longview last year and sold the restaurant to open Lexi’z.

In May, a Seattle investment company announced plans to build an 80,000-square-foot shopping mall in Lexington just a few blocks from Lexi’z Pizza Pub on West Side Highway. The mall is expected to include some restaurants, and Ross said she’s heard it could attract a national pizza chain.

So now she’s working to make Lexi’z Pizzas a unique brand. Ross makes every pizza herself by hand, layered with a special buttery sauce she concocted herself. Ross has only one employee so far — her mother, Judy Deggs — but she’s looking for more help for the summer.

The pub, which serves beer and wine, offers fun happy hour specials most nights for the after-dinner crowd. But Ross said she wants to make Lexi’z a place for families to come after baseball games and other events, as well.

“People come to my door all the time and say, ‘Can my kids come in here?’ And I want them to know that yes, they can,” Ross said.

Ross has added some outdoor furniture on the front patio, and she hopes to expand the business more. Eventually, she’d like to build a second building in the back as a tavern and keep the current spot as a pizza place.

“We just fell in love with the community,” Ross said.

Lexi’z Pizza Pub is open at 1316 West Side Highway from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The restaurant is open an hour later until 10 p.m. Friday, and the hours are 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Lexi’z is open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Speaker bringing leadership lesson to Longview

An Oregon consultant will talk leadership in Longview this week — powered by the lessons of a legendary swashbuckler.

Harvey A. Meier, a management consultant from Ashland, Ore., will discuss “The D’Artagnan Way — Seven Principles to Inspire Leadership” Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cowlitz PUD auditorium.

D’Artagnan is the leader of The Three Musketeers made famous in the 19th century adventure novels of French writer Alexandre Dumas. Meier has written a leadership book called “The D’Artagnan Way” that incorporates the principles of the Musketeers, whose famous motto was “all for one and one for all.”

The free presentation is sponsored by the Lower Columbia Leadership Academy and the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce. The discussion is geared toward nonprofit groups, according to the chamber.

To reserve seating, call the chamber at 423-8400.

Talking Business is a weekly column about business openings, closings or major changes. Contact reporter Erik Olson with any business news tips at eolson@tdn.com or at 577-2510.

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lord gregor wrote on Jun 16, 2008 6:38 AM:

" What's this I hear about Pietro's reopening their restaurant on the site of the original Pietro's Pizza Parlor on Commerce? Is this a rumor or is it confirmed???? "

happymom wrote on Jun 16, 2008 8:25 AM:

" Lexi'z Pub makes a GREAT pizza! Good Luck Amy! "

JuniorBaconChi wrote on Jun 16, 2008 10:50 AM:

" Looks like great pizza but if I am correct haven't many pizza eateries around this area been closing down lately because they weren't scraping by? "

K wrote on Jun 16, 2008 10:56 AM:

" They do make great pizza but...there is zero parking except across Westside and trying to cross that street is a nightmare!! "

Kelso Mom wrote on Jun 16, 2008 11:18 AM:

" Re:K

You can park on the side and the back of the building. There's plenty of parking. "

pq wrote on Jun 16, 2008 11:27 AM:

" maybe all the other pizza places are closing and the parking lot is always jammed because Lexi'z pizza is so dang good.
I'm a huge fan of the BBQ chicken one and the Mexi one. this is one of my favorite places to go. "

concerned wrote on Jun 16, 2008 11:34 AM:

" I think the reason the pizza eateries around the area have been closing down is the fact they have to charge soooooo much for their product. What we need is someplace reasonable to go have fun and eat a good slice of pizza. "

Rosey Glasses wrote on Jun 16, 2008 11:46 AM:

" Did that used to be Mystic? (sp) I loved those pizzas until about a year or so ago. New owners didn't keep up the quality. "

Toutle Mom wrote on Jun 16, 2008 2:00 PM:

" I love Kokomo Joe's and look forward to trying the pizza! "

luke the drifter wrote on Jun 16, 2008 2:19 PM:

" Cowlitz County should erect a sign, "Welcome to the Land of Pizza, Metal Theft, and Inept Government" "

GregN wrote on Jun 16, 2008 2:22 PM:

" If you want a great slice of pizza, you should eat at Pizza Schmizza in the Triangle Mall. The owner is the nicest guy and the pizza is great! "

Master Wario wrote on Jun 16, 2008 4:19 PM:

" Lexi's pizza Rocks, and West Side Highway is not hard at all to cross. "

2fedup wrote on Jun 16, 2008 10:45 PM:

" I would assume the point of this article is to inform people of this business, and it's location. I don't know if Erik Olson is dyslexic or what, but there is no such address of 1316 Westide Hwy. The correct address of the Lexi'z Pizza Pub is 1613 Westside Hwy. "

LittleBrownTurd wrote on Jun 17, 2008 11:46 AM:

" Keep on driftin Luke. We've gotta control the metal theft somehow... "

Rastusracing wrote on Jun 17, 2008 6:22 PM:

" I wish Amy and her business the best of luck and really hope she finds all the right combinations of things to stay alive in business and even thrive. As a long time previous owner of a local small business I know the ups and downs to various business. Sometimes your passion has to take a back seat to the reality of the situation. The only advice I can give is make the best product you can, work hard and win over your customers.....figure out what its going to take to build the customer base and then keep them coming. There is ultimatley at least these to truths in business. The very 1st reason that a business should be in existance is profit, for without it you dont have a business regardless of your ideals, 2nd is its survival of the fittest......take that one to heart, if you want to survive, find any and all ways, and increase your customer base....In the end, you got my business, your newest customer!!! Keep up the good work!!! "

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