GALION – No matter how you slice it, pies have always been Jared Thew’s passion.

Thew is the owner of East of Chicago Pizza in Galion.  The pizzeria that opened its doors back in 1994.  The restaurant where he first worked as a delivery driver.  The place where he met his wife, Jessica, and where some of their children now work.

“I love it.  It’s a labor of love,” said Thew, as East of Chicago, 759 Carter Drive, gears up for its 30th anniversary on Feb. 22.  “People look at me and I’m the ‘pizza guy,’ and that’s kind of how I always wanted it to be.”

Thew was as a sophomore in college when he started on opening day, but back then the eatery was located on Harding Way East.  “It was to make extra cash while I was going to school.  It was always in the evenings, so it was a perfect job for a full-time college student.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in education from The Ohio State University in 1996, he stayed on with the company to help open stores in Pennsylvania.  Two years later, he moved back to Galion to become manager of the restaurant known for its signature pan pizza.

There he met Jessica, a crew member who later became an area representative for the restaurant chain founded in Willard.  She worked days, overseeing more than a dozen locations for the company.  He worked the night shift.  They were married in 2000.

When the corporate stores were sold in 1999, Thew said, the couple obtained financing, and purchased the local eatery on Sept. 25, 2000.  “It was hard work, but it was worth it.  It went through ups and downs, highs and lows.  The 2008 recession took its toll.”

In 2011, East of Chicago moved to the west side of town.  The newer store is not only larger but also features a renovated dining room with seating for more than 30 guests and a much-needed drive-up window, Thew said.  Online ordering was also made available.

Thew eventually received his master’s degree and took a teaching job at Northmor.  He was also a fifth-grade math teacher at Colonel Crawford for four years but resigned in 2018 when they acquired East of Chicago in Shelby to devote more time to the franchises.

Although the recipe is the same – and the signature dough still made fresh daily – a few changes are in store for East of Chicago, Thew said.  To kick off 2024, a Pizza of the Month special is being offered, he said, with Chicken Bacon Ranch as the featured variety for January.

Heart-shaped pizzas will come out of the ovens Feb. 13, 14, and 15 to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Thew said.  Other staples on the menu include subs, salads, wings, and East of Chicago’s popular ParmPOPS and, as a dessert, hot and tasty CinnaPOPS, he said.

“We’ve had a great staff. We’ve had good people that I can trust.  My wife and I have been doing this a long time, but we love the communities we’re in and we try to be a part of them.  God has blessed us in so many ways in our lives, and He is to thank for all of it.”