Thirty years ago, the late Mike Vogel might not have imagined just how big a hit his restaurant, Pizza Transit, would be.
For the past 12 years, Vogel’s daughter Sarah Brittin has helped to transform the mom and pop shop into a staple of the downtown area, where hungry customers are eager to sample her latest creative pizzas.
In those 30 years, Brittin’s restaurant has become well-known for its non-traditional pizzas that have long inspired customers to try something new.
The pizza shop first found a home in Niles in 1987. Brittin’s father, Mike Vogel, moved his family from Lansing to open up the pizza shop, after he fell in love with the Niles area.
Brittin has helped in the kitchen, since she was small enough to hide under the table, and doodle on the table with a crayon at the former location at 100 S. 11th.
In those early years, Brittin learned to love creating pizza and experimenting with food.
A self-proclaimed food enthusiast, Brittin is a passionate baker, constantly inspired by a variety of foods from sandwiches to breakfast.
“Pretty much anything that I have enjoyed eating, I have slapped on a pizza,” Brittin said. “Anything that you like to eat and put it on a crust, with cheese on it it is probably just going to get better.”
Some of these creations have included the Chicago dog pizza — a tribute to the Cubs and the popular Thanksgiving pizza topped with mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing or the breakfast pizza.
A few customers are clear about their skepticism toward these non-traditional pizza toppings. Brittin often hears, “I do not think you can put that on a pizza.”
But with a bit of coaxing and an occasional free sample slice, she usually changes their mind.
For some families, eating the Thanksgiving pizza featured in November is a tradition. Some customers come as far as Plymouth, Indiana to enjoy the unique dish.
Brittin often features her new creations through the pizza of the month, an announcement that customers eagerly anticipate as the month draws to a close.
“Stuff like that really makes it a fun job,” Brittin said. “It is not just cranking out the same pizza. We try to mix it up and keep it fun.”
While Vogel had a more classic take on pizza creation, his influence in the restaurant is still widely seen and tasted.
“He was really straightforward,” Brittin said. “He was a pepperoni and black olives kind of guy.”
Brittin still follows his homemade crust recipe, uses the same sauce and hand tosses each pizza — a skill customers can glimpse as they wait on their food.
It was Brittin who thought up the creative recipes, an aspect to the restaurant she said her dad would be fond of.
“He would have loved that,” Brittin said. “I do not think he knew that people would get excited about things like that.”
In 30 years, the restaurant has inevitably seen a few changes, but for Brittin and her loyal staff, the changes have been for the better.
Since moving into the downtown area at 215 E. Main St. in 2012, Brittin said they have quadrupled their sales. The year of 2016 was the restaurant’s busiest year yet.
The move has also put the restaurant on the map and given the restaurant the chance to showcase pizza during various Niles festivals.
Brittin likens the crowds to a Black Friday rush. For Brittin and her staff of seasoned employees, all who have been with Brittin for at least five years, the crowds flocking to the restaurant are a welcomed sign.
Brittin believes behind every successful pizza shop is a fleet of hard working staff.
Even during a full house brought on by downtown festivals, the restaurant’s ability to keep up with the traffic is an accomplishment that Brittin credits to her employees. The staff members not only known the business well, but have also become a familiar face to customers who have visited the shop for years.
“We have got really good employees,” Brittin said.
Looking back Brittin said, she gives has many loyal customers to thank. To repay them for their loyalty, the restaurant aims to help nonprofits, including the American Cancer Society and heart research charities.
“We have been really fortunate that every year since I have bought the business has been better than the last,” Brittin said. “We are just going to keep going.”
As for Brittin’s next edible creation, who know what will find its way on a pizza next, but more than likely with Brittin’s signature, it is likely to be a hit.