Previously, Wally was in manufacturing and had an aluminum-casting foundry, and Carolyn worked as a veterinary technician at Sylva Animal Hospital. She still works as a receptionist there. After college, Amy became a writer and now lives in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Charlie tackled a number of roles at Speedy’s, from hosting to serving to cooking to dishwashing, until he took over as general manager. Today his duties include covering the day-to-day functioning of the restaurant and ordering ingredients. Speedy’s, which was founded in 1973 in Cullowhee and moved to Sylva in the early 1980s, was the first pizza place in the area, ahead of the chain restaurants. The original owner was a racing fan and carried the nickname “Speedy.” By focusing on homemade recipes with all-natural ingredients on hand-tossed pizzas, the Schmidt family has kept Speedy’s fresh. Carolyn Schmidt said the food is substantially the same since the restaurant’s founding nearly 40 years ago. “We haven’t changed any of
“Pizza can be made a thousand ways. [Our success relies on] consistently good pizza, beer, service, and a great location.”
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— CHARLIE SCHMIDT the recipes,” she said, though they have added a Thursday night prime rib dinner. A renovation in 2001 added 30 seats inside. “The Pit” room, renovated by the Schmidts, serves groups, and outside, large picnic tables seat around 25 guests with heaters turned on in the cooler months. Dogs are allowed to accompany their owners on the patio. With all of that space, Speedy’s is known for hosting groups from Western Carolina University. “We rely on the college. Faithful students, teachers, and professors come in groups,” said Carolyn Schmidt. Charlie Schmidt also noted that about half of the 15 employees are WCU students. Carolyn Schmidt added: “We have good help and low turnover.” In addition to pizza, Speedy’s is known for its strombolis and calzones, according to Charlie Schmidt. “Pizza can be made a thousand ways,” he said, but the secret to Speedy’s success is “consistently good pizza, beer, service, and a great location.” “We keep improving on what we have,” said Wally Schmidt. “We get more efficient.” J AC KSON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERC E
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