Co-owner Jessica Christiansen and her husband originally purchased a commercial building in 2014 in hopes of opening an insurance agency near their home in Jefferson City, but they ended up turning half of the space into a pizza parlor.
On March 4, they opened West Main Pizza2 on 923 E. Broadway in The District. Since then, they’ve worked to establish a reputation of fast, fresh and delicious food in both of their locations.
West Main Pizza2 is known for its homemade crust, a recipe Christiansen’s mother-in-law set out to perfect once the family placed pizza on its agenda.
Christiansen spent most of her childhood in Columbia and graduated from MU. The mom-and-pop vibes of West Main fit in well in CoMo, and the couple has been extremely pleased with the location.
“I just love the downtown atmosphere … the foot traffic and everything, the busy, hustle and bustle, people-watching, all that, and I just wanted to help capture some of that market,” Christiansen says. “I think Columbia’s such a cool, hip place to be.”
West Main Pizza2 has hired several student employees. The shop also hopes to partner with Pocket Points, and plans to get that launched as soon as possible.
The downtown location differs from the original in that it hopes to house a more fast-casual service, which is partially a result of the location’s faster ovens. At West Main Pizza2, customers can order and receive their pizza in under five minutes.
The ingredients and menu have remained mostly the same, though the Columbia location has more options. With so many other pizza restaurants in the area, West Main claims that their fast service and fresh ingredients set them apart.
“I think competition is healthy, and there’s enough to go around for everyone,” Christiansen says. “We just want to provide an opportunity for people to have a fast, casual, fresh meal.”
West Main focuses on good food for a good value; their pizzas and salads are all $9, no matter how many toppings you order. The restaurant aims for a “make it your way” menu, placing an endless amount of possible pizza combinations at your fingertips.
**West Main Pizza2 is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday–Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday–Saturday.**
_Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_
