Despite the name “2 Guys Pies,” Andalusia’s newest restaurant hasn’t got a thing to do with sweets. It’s all about the pizza, said owner Casey Jones.
Jones is no stranger to the local culinary scene. Best known for the eatery “CJ’s,” Jones said the new restaurant – located next to Goody’s – will feature pizza, wings, calzones and an assortment of pasta and salad dishes.
“The problem with doing a CJ’s-type restaurant in Andalusia is that you have to charge so much for an entrée because I’m dedicated to the quality of the food,” he said. “With pizza, the trend is fresh, fresh, fresh toppings. You can still have the quality and keep the prices down.
“And I felt like there is really a market for a sit-down pizza place,” he said.
Jones said for the last three weeks, he’s worked to perfect not only the pizza sauce, but also the dough.
“Those two things are going to set us apart from any other pizza place,” he said.
In addition to the traditional pizza-y items, the menu will also feature “the best hamburger and fresh cut French fries in town” and children’s selections.
An all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, including a salad bar, is $6.99 plus the drink cost. Entrée items are less than $10 each. A large five-topping pizza is $14. Beer and wine will also be served.
Eating options include dine-in, take-out or delivery within a five-mile radius.
Technology will play a huge role in the venture, Jones said. Hiring for the seven kitchen staff members, 14 wait staff and two drivers is being conducted online at 2guyspiesandalusia.com.
iPods will be used to send orders from the table directly to the kitchen. Drivers will be equipped with GPS and iPods so they know exactly when an order is ready for delivery. Customers can order online, and order histories will be stored to allow for faster times.
Jones said he’s employed a New York company to handle the restaurant’s social media presence.
“It’s a huge undertaking, but well worth it,” he said.
Jones isn’t stopping at one location – the plan is to franchise the “2 Guys Pies” brand and to open a second location soon, he said.
“It’s going to be a place that is no more than an hour away from here,” Jones said. “Maybe Brewton?”
And by the way, there’s really not a second “guy” behind “2 Guys Pies,” Jones said.
“It’s for my dad,” he said. “He just passed away. He was a supporter who owned his own business. When I was growing up, he’d say, ‘Always try to work for yourself,’ and that’s what I’m doing.”
The restaurant will open on May 23. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.
- Andalusia Star News
The clouds parted Saturday morning, the sun came out, and both the Andalusia Junior Woman’s Club and the Boy Scouts were able to proceed with planned events.
The AJWC’s fourth annual Three Notch Market was delayed until noon. Not all vendors who had registered participated, but many faithful did. Members of the AJWC improvised, putting together a last-minute food booth themselves to keep the hungry attendees happy. 
Saturday afternoon, the Boy Scouts held an expo in Robinson Park. Saturday night, they hosted a flag retiring ceremony. The unseasonably cool temperatures brought people out with blankets for the event, which featured Vietnam veteran Kenneth Johnson as the guest speaker.
The Three Notch Market 5K and Fun Run was delayed until March 18.
Andalusia’s Tourism and Relocation Committee will hold a golden oldies-themed Music Around Town at 6:30 tonight in City Hall Auditorium.
Performers will include the Andalusia High School Choral Department; Robert and Madison Copeland; Rhonda Ricks, Angela Sanders and Duebelt; Curtis and June Simpson and Eric Lidh in a George Burns and Gracie Allen skit; Jeremy Boyd, Savannah Ricks, and Cat and Beth Dean.
There is no charge for admission.
Gov. Robert Bentley capped off what he said has been a great week for Alabama by celebrating with Vector Aerospace the grand opening of its expanded Andalusia facility.
On Monday, Bentley was in Auburn for the grand opening of General Electric Aviations jet engines component facility.
Tuesday, he joined officials of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International to break ground on a $70 million expansion in Tuscaloosa that will mean 600 new jobs.
Thursday, he was in Lincoln to join Honda officials in celebrating the unveiling of Acura’s MDX, which will be made exclusively in Alabama.
“I’m proud to be with you today in Covington County, celebrating this expansion,” Bentley said.
Declan O’Shea, president and CEO of Vector Aerospace Corporation, expressed his appreciation of the local employees who make continued growth of the Vector facility possible. He also saluted state and local government officials for their support.
At present, Vector employs 150 people in its 85,000 square foot Andalusia facility and does approximately $30 million in business annually. O’Shea said he expects those numbers to continue to grow.
“Ultimately, it was because of the people in this facility that we could do the expansion,” he said. “Their work and reputation help us attract sales.”
The grand opening drew hundreds of local, regional and state officials, as well as local supporters. Vector provided guided tours of the facility, and served a buffet lunch under a huge white tent after the official ceremonies.
Among the dignitaries was Samuel Adcock, senior vice president for strategy and development at EADS, the parent company of both Vector and Airbus; Commander Matthew Bowen of the U.S. Navy; and Capt. James Fisher of the U.S. Navy, as well as representatives of Vector’s customers.
With new owners and a new name, the Andalusia bowling alley Strikers will soon have a new look while offering new perks.
Don Dupree and brother Greg are owners of Ft. Walton Beach Bowl, and for the last 10 years or so, the two have waited patiently for Boland Lanes to be put on the market.
A few short months ago, their patience paid off.
“We had a lot of bowlers from here visit us in Ft. Walton Beach for tournaments,” Don Dupree said Monday. “When we heard (Boland Lanes) was for sale, we jumped on it.”
As soon as the sale closed, the two also jumped on plans to renovate and rejuvenate the local bowling scene.
First, the men changed the operating hours to seven-days-a-week of fun – Monday through Thursday from noon until 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from noon until midnight and on Sunday from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m.
“The thing is, we recognize that most people don’t get off work until 5,” Dupree said. “We want this facility to be all about family entertainment. If we closed at 6, that wouldn’t work, so we decided to change the hours.”
As for the “look of the place,” that, too, will soon change, he said.
“That Barney purple – it will soon be gone,” Dupree said. “That’s the first thing that will go. We’re going to remodel inside and out. There’ll be carpet on the walls to deaden the sound; new tile. In the future, we’re going to add a sports bar for the adults and a patio out back for summer use.”
Inside, one will already find a fully stocked pro shop.
However, the biggest change the Duprees hope to make is the resurgence of the bowling leagues – adult and youth, alike.
“We want those leagues in here, playing,” Dupree said. “By changing the hours, it gives more play time to everyone.
“The great thing about bowling, for the youth, is that bowling isn’t a sport where you sit on the bench,” he said. “For families, it’s all about the entertainment; the fun.”
And Dupree knows what he’s talking about when it comes to bowling, he said.
A Professional Bowling Association member since 1995, Dupree has won five various PBA titles and began working along side his father when he was 12, he said.