Family pizzeria to open in Fort Gratiot

George Mayer, 60, of Fort Gratiot, remembers walking home from school and stopping to buy a 15 cent slice of pizza.

"I grew up in the Bronx in New York," Mayer said. "I lived in a big Italian neighborhood, and it was the best thing if you were lucky enough to have 15 cents in your pocket. It was the kind of pizza you would fold in half to eat as the grease ran off it."

Mayer plans to bring his deep-rooted love of pizza and Italian food to Fort Gratiot by the end of August.

Mayer, along with his daughter, Alyson Mayer, 27, and ex-wife Karin Mayer, 51, are opening Great Lakes Italian, 3822 Pine Grove Ave.

The restaurant will feature pizza and pasta with homemade sauces, spices and dough.

The 2,650-square-foot building will seat about 70 guests.

"We saw the building for sale and it was a great location," Alyson Mayer said. "It's very exciting to watch all of the traffic go by."

George said curious people have already stopped in to inquire why the family was renovating the building.

They have already painted the interior and exterior of the building since they purchased it at the end of May. Before the restaurant opens booths and tables need to be set up, the interior needs to be finished and kitchen appliances need to be installed.

"We won't have the standard checkered tablecloth like Italian pizzerias do," Alyson said. "But we plan on having photos of the local area, beaches, the bridge, the lighthouse and the Great Lakes – making it a calm and soothing environment."

Alyson said they want customers to feel welcome and at home when they walk in the door.

"We will have home-style, comforting cooking," Alyson said. "We will have generous portions and toppings piled so high on the pizza that you won't be able to find the cheese."

The comfortable, family-owned restaurant comes from a family history of being in the restaurant business.

About 20 years ago the Mayer's lived in Vermont. At that time they owned a similar restaurant called Al's Pizza Towne.

"I was just six or seven years old," Alyson said. "So my memories are a bit spotty, but I remember the pizza being so good and one day when I had a snow day they let me wait tables."

George said Al's was named after Alyson.

"The tray she was carrying was practically bigger than she was," George said.

Now Alyson will no longer be hobbling along with a large tray full of pizza, but will be running the business alongside her parents.

Contact Nicole Hayden at (810) 989-6279 or nhayden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @NicoleHayden_TH.