Community spirit is strong in Clemmons, so when local pizza shop, Pie Guys, was vandalized and deliberately set on fire in February, many were dismayed. Not just because a favorite community pizza place was temporarily closed, but because everyone loves the Pie Guys team and owner, Robert Wiley. Robert is the nicest guy, and it seemed inconceivable that his shop would be targeted!
But Robert doesn’t stop, and he refuses to be a victim. He used the time closed to make some improvements to the restaurant. “We weren’t looking for an unexpected closure,” said Robert, “But we didn’t waste our time closed either. We used those weeks to make adjustments to the website and experimented with a few recipes we’ve added to the menu. Additionally, we made some cosmetic adjustments to the store during restoration and traded out our drink machine for a Pepsi machine.”
So nine weeks after re-opening, Robert and his team are back! “My entire team came back,” Robert continued. “Thankfully, we had a rider on our insurance policy that enabled me to keep my employees on payroll during our weeks closed. I am very proud that 100% of my staff returned and thankful to them for their loyalty.”
“We are beyond thankful for the community support we received,” said Robert. “The community outreach has been unbelievable. Our re-opening week was the best week we’ve had in our business, and repeatedly, we’ve heard from customers—‘We missed you!’ Well, trust me—we missed you, too! We are so thankful to be doing what we love again—making pizza and seeing our friends in the community.”
Robert’s spirit of gratitude goes back to the night of the fire. “The damage could have been so much worse,” he said. “But thanks to two diligent employees at Food Lion, they quickly called 9-1-1 and within three minutes—the Clemmons Fire Department was on the scene. Despite the horror of that night, I remember being thankful that no one was hurt, as well as awed and amazed by the responsiveness and professionalism of the Clemmons Fire Department, Sheriff, and the Police. They were onsite to help put out the fire and begin the investigation.”
“I have so many to thank, and I don’t want to leave anyone out,” Robert mused. “But in addition to my Food Lion neighbors and the emergency response teams, I have to give a special shout-out and thank-you to Dewey’s Bakery. So many offered their support to us during this difficult time, but they went above and beyond—lending us refrigerator and freezer space to store undamaged food until we could re-open. Even after our first days back in business, they came out, and without any interest in promoting themselves, they passed out ice cream to our customers. That’s ‘loving your neighbors’ right there. They didn’t have to do all that, and their graciousness and generosity humble me.”
“I’m also thankful to popular Bowman Gray race car driver John Holleman. Not only did he help get the word out when we re-opened more recently, but he also gave his time to help support us. He brought his race car to the parking lot and spent some time meeting and greeting our customers.”
Robert continued, “There are so many people to thank, and it would take me far longer than nine weeks to do so. Just please know—I am so thankful to this community and our loyal customers. I’m grateful to the local businesses who shared their support, and I’m thankful to my incredibly hardworking and loyal staff for hanging in there with me.”
Pie Guys Pizza is located at 3425 Kinnamon Village Commons in Winston-Salem. Call them at 336.893.7331.,view their menu and order online at PieGuys.com. Be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram! Pie Guys Pizza & More is open Sunday and Tuesday–Thursday from 11 AM–8 PM and Friday–Saturday from 11 AM–9PM. The restaurant is closed on Monday.
[SIDEBAR]
Be sure to check out the new menu items including:
- The Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
- The Hot Italian Sub
- Pineapple and Cherry Stromboli
- Cookies and Cream Stromboli
