The PizzaWerks owner Aaron Wasmer stirs the sauce as the restaurant he opened last February. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

Aaron Wasmer has brought a little East Coast flavor to Edwardsburg.

The former fabrication engineer opened up PizzaWerks in Edwardsburg last February.

Wasmer is originally from Philadelphia. He lives across the state line in Mishawaka, but owns property in Edwardsburg.

“I fell into the business with a buddy of mine,” Wasmer said. “I was helping him fund the business. But when he got himself in trouble I completely took it over and now I am here pretty much from nine-to-nine every day.”

Wasmer likes the location of PizzaWerks, which is less than two miles from the Indiana state line and centrally located with the communities of Granger, Ind., Niles and Cassopolis.

Wasmer, who worked for a brief time as a cook at Ramada 15 years ago, quickly took a liking to running the restaurant because “I like serving people.”

So far it has been hot and cold as far as a steady stream of customers, but the ones who have come in and tried a pizza, a grinder or pasta have been satisified.

“People like the size of our sandwiches,” Wasmer said. “I think that shows our integrity. We haven’t had a complaint yet.”

The customers seem to enjoy the rustic style “The Werks” pizza, which has nine toppings split up between several types of meat and vegetables.

On the grinder side, Wasmer says the favorite seems to be the “The Italian,” which comes with capicola, ham, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella, banana peppers and Italian dressing.

PizzaWerks also had carry and bake pizzas, which are made to order for the customers, who then take them home and bake them.

Wasmer hasn’t decided whether or not his venture has been a success.

“I haven’t been in it long enough,” he said. “I’m not going to look back yet because you might trip and fall.”

Wasmer said his vision for the future is to make PizzaWerks the type of place that customers like coming back to again and again.

“I want them to come here and then go out and tell people they want to go and try this place,” he said.