Pizza chain opens in Othello

OTHELLO - Westside Pizza is now in Othello.

The business started when founder Jason West opened the first location in Colville in 1996. The chain later added 16 restaurants in Washington and three, soon to be four, in California, Operations Manager Alex Zollinger said.

Zollinger began working for Westside Pizza in Bainbridge Island in 2005. When the opportunity to expand the franchise to Othello came up, he jumped at it, he said.

"The company had been looking at Othello for several years, they always thought it would be a great place," he said. "So I decided to make the leap and move out here."

Zollinger officially opened the doors about three weeks ago. He said business has been good since then.

"It's been busy, a lot of people have come to try us out," he said.

Customers can dine in or take their orders home with them, Zollinger said. Westside Pizza also delivers within a 5-mile radius.

"You can build your own pizzas, or we have a lot of combos and specialty pizzas," he said. "We also have pastas, wings, salads and a variety of bread sticks and dessert sticks."

The restaurant prides itself on making fresh dough in-store every morning, Zollinger said. All of the other ingredients they use are also as fresh as they can get them, he said.

A popular specialty pizza is the restaurant's "Death by Pizza," Zollinger said.

"It's essentially every standard topping, it's about five pounds when it's all done," he said. "There's cheese, all the meats like pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, real bacon and then mushrooms, olives, green peppers and pineapple and a few other toppings."

The restaurant also has a "Death by Pizza" challenge. Customers who can eat an extra-large "Death by Pizza" pizza by themselves in less than an hour gets their pizza paid for, a T-shirt and $50.

The cash prize increases sometimes because if you fail the challenge, a portion of what you pay for the pizza goes into the pot, Zollinger said. The pot increases with each failed attempt, so the person who finally conquers the challenge wins the whole thing, he said.

Zollinger said the challenge shouldn't be taken lightly. He's worked for the company for many years and has yet to attempt the challenge.

Zollinger said he also recommends the restaurant's "Tropical Heat" pizza. The pizza features pepperoni, sausage, jalapeños, pineapple and tomatoes.

"It's hot and sweet," he said.

Zollinger said hot wings are another customer favorite. They go through twice as many hot wings as barbecue wings, he said.

Westside Pizza is located at 1490 E. Main St. They are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

To place an order for pick-up or delivery, call 509-488-8555.