BY MATT FLUMERFELT•PHOTOGRAPHS BY JONATHAN CHICK
Baytree Pizza owners Hugo and Jessica Torres said they wanted to bring Valdostans a taste of Italy at a price even a strolling minstrel can afford. Torres worked at El Toreo for a number of years, but thought Valdosta already had enough Mexican and Chinese restaurants. They love Italian food and saw an opening in the Valdosta market for a restaurant that offered great tasting Italian food at an affordable price.
Baytree Pizza, located at 607 Baytree Road, Suite C, started serving customers on July 13, 2009, and so far, customer response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Customers comment on how good the food is and how much food they get for their money,” Hugo said.
It’s Hugo and Jessica’s first business. Four years ago Torres was looking to buy the place where the restaurant is now, but he said the price was too high. He watched and waited and, when the price came down, he made his move. Jessica’s parents live in Valdosta, and helped them, not just financially, but with creative ideas and moral support, she said.
“What we tried to do is take ideas from the community about what the people who live here want in a restaurant,” Jessica said.
They don’t use any pre-packaged foods, Jessica said. Everything they serve is prepared fresh. They buy their produce at the local farmer’s markets to keep things fresh and to help the local economy.
“This is not fast food,” Hugo said. “Customers don’t always understand when they have to wait a little while, that we don’t start preparing their food until they order it.”
“Pizza by the slice and the salads are the fastest things we serve,” Jessica said. “And the desserts.”
Hugo tosses and spins customers’ pizzas in the air, using centrifugal force to get the desired shape and thickness. He learned to toss pizzas while working as a delivery driver for Dominos Pizza in his home town of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, he said.
Beverages include domestic and imported beer—bottled and draft, wine, fountain drinks, Tropicana Lemonade, sweet and unsweet tea, Sobe Lifewater, Gatorade, and coffee.
General manager Luis Leiva worked as a chef for years in Georgia and Florida. Many of Baytree Pizza’s menu items are made using Leiva’s own recipes, including the dough and sauces that add pizzaz to his pizzas.
Baytree Pizza’s atmosphere is fun and casual, with three large screen, wall-mounted TV’s and a modern music mix that caters to Valdosta’s new Bohemians.
“We want our customers to be comfortable and have fun,” Hugo said.
They also serve a number of meatless menu items, like their Veggie Calzone, Veggie Pizza, fresh salads, and White Pizza, for the growing number of vegetarian customers.
Business hours are Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. until midnight, Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. until 3 a.m., Saturday, 12 p.m. until 3 a.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. until midnight. They deliver Sunday through Thursday until midnight for no additional charge, and Thursday through Saturday until 3 a.m. for an additional dollar.
They offer VSU specials with a valid ID card, discounts for members of the military and city workers and regular lunch specials. Monday night is Trivia Night, featuring 25 cent drafts and $1 bottled beer. Customers can download a menu at baytreepizza.com and discount coupons at campusspecial.com, Hugo said.
For more information on Baytree Pizza, call (229) 253-0634.
