3rd Street Pizza Co. offers the well-known, great-tasting pies that are the only pizza to be voted “Best Pizza” in the News-Register’s annual “Best of Mac” survey.

It’s hard to believe it has been more than 25 years since Gerry Hunter opened the pizza shop down on 3rd Street. Over that time, 3rd St Pizza Co. has become one of those businesses that define the downtown area. What makes 3rd St. Pizza Company so special? The employees? The fresh ingredients? The customers? “All three,” says Gerry, “that, and a little bit of love.”

The 3rd Street Pizza Co. Difference

The “little pizza company that could,” built by Gerry in the summer of 1997, features classic hand-tossed New York style pizza, calzones, chicken wings, sandwiches, and salads. Their award-winning pizza is prepared the old-fashioned way: fresh dough made daily, hand-prepared sauce, and cooked on a hearthstone in a traditional oven. They even bake the bread for the sandwiches fresh every day.

“Most places today use conveyor-belt ovens that are faster and easier to use, but they just don’t make the same product. I guess it’s the difference between a hand-made product and one that’s made assembly-line style. Our customers tell us they can taste the difference.”

The Moonlight Theater

For some people, the best feature of the 3rd St Pizza Co. may be the Moonlight Theater, where customers can enjoy great pizza and their favorite beverage while watching the big screen. Located in the same building, the theater has a full-size movie screen with 12-speaker surround sound. In the summer of 2014, the theater did a full upgrade to the latest digital technology. The new picture and sound are amazing! In 2016, all new seating made the theater experience even better yet.

Community Matters

“Being voted ‘Best of Mac’ is one of the things that makes us proudest,” Hunter remarked. “That’s not us buying an ad and putting a blue ribbon in it; those votes are direct feedback from our customers. The Pizza Co is also very proud to have been named the MDA’s “Business of the Year” and Mid-Valley Rehabilitation’s “Employer of the Year” for its on-going work in the community.