December 2007 — VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12
Success one slice at a time
If you’re looking for a quick bite that won’t take too much of your time away from all that great snow, or too many precious dollars either—then Mountain High Pizza is the place to go.
Owner Ryan Schmalz has lived at Sun Peaks since 1997, moving here to become a ski bum after finishing university. Visualizing a business opportunity shortly after arriving he opened up Mountain High Pizza—sacrificing part of his original ambitions of spending endless days on the slopes.
“I wanted to try to find a way to live the lifestyle here and also make some money,” he says.
Schmalz—who also built and opened Mountain High Pizza in Kamloops, but has since sold it—notes that although he had prior experience working in restaurants, he knew little about making pizzas. Fortunately his brother-in-law did, having had about 18 years in the pizza business—he taught him everything he needed to know and Mountain High Pizza was formed.
Pizza has and probably always will be a popular comfort food—especially New Years Day, Mountain High’s busiest time, when everyone needs a little comfort after a big night on the town. And according to Schmalz there aren’t many people who turn their nose up at crispy dough, melted cheese and a combination of tasty toppings.
“It caters to everyone,” he says, adding it’s great for people who are in a hurry because it only takes a few minutes to come in and out to grab a tasty slice—and it’s relatively inexpensive.
Schmalz says there are no new additions to the Mountain High Pizza menu this year—to the delight of the regulars—he prefers to concentrate on making a few really great products as opposed to having many items on the menu.
“A wise man once told me to do what you’re good at. Instead of doing a hundred different things, do a few things really well,” he says.
However, he says he’s experimenting with some new additions to his recipes such as soy cheese and whole wheat organic crusts, pointing out this is in keeping with how pizzas have evolved over the past 10 years to accommodate changing tastes.
“Over the last 10 years you see people looking for different things. Eight years ago you didn’t see people adding corn, eggplant or spinach on pizza,” he adds, noting a particularly memorable order was a pizza topped with boiled pasta, potatoes, leeks, sauerkraut and homemade cheese.
In celebration of 10 years in business at Sun Peaks, Mountain High will be hosting an anniversary party on July 4, 2008 and Schmalz thanks the locals for the success he’s had over the past years—it’s been a good ride, he says.
“If it wasn’t for the support of the locals we wouldn’t be here,” he confirms.
Mountain High Pizza is located in the Heartstone Lodge at Sun Peaks.
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