THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 5, 1997 TAG: 9701030247
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINDSOR LENGTH: 62 lines
PIZZA HAS returned to Windsor.
That's thanks to a hard-working Wakefield resident, Jo Lynne McMahan, a former employee of Pino's Pizza.
Pino's, on U.S. Route 460 in Wakefield, for a while had a location in Windsor - in the same spot where Jo's Pizza opened in early November.
When the owner of Pino's decided he had taken on too much by operating two locations, he closed the Windsor restaurant about two years ago.
Since then, McMahan has dreamed. With Jo's already the kind of success she'd never even imagined, her dream has become a reality.
``The restaurant business gets in your blood,'' McMahan said. ``I just love it. It seems like this has kind of rounded out the food choices in Windsor. People have been great.''
The small town's newest place to dine is at 36 E. Windsor Blvd., to the left of and just behind the cigarette store on 460.
``Tell the people to come to the back door,'' McMahan said, smiling. ``Pino's had this entire end of the building. We took a smaller area, so you kind of have to come to the rear.''
Jo's Pizza, open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, features a full line of sandwiches and subs. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.
``The cheese steak - without a doubt - has been the most popular,'' McMahan said. ``Everybody seems to love it.''
And everybody also seems to like ``Sammy's Club Sub,'' a combination of smoked ham, turkey, provolone cheese, American cheese, bacon and tomato. It's named for her 10-year-old son, Sammy Britt.
``It's a smash hit,'' McMahan said.
The new eatery also features pizza in a variety of sizes and with a variety of toppings, spaghetti, lasagna, stromboli, appetizers and desserts.
``On really cold days, we make homemade soup,'' McMahan said. ``And we make barbecue with our own sauce. Everybody seems to like that.''
McMahan has two employees working with her: Joan Morlan, a friend who also lives in Wakefield, and a part-timer at night.
Plans are for Morlan to start making homemade desserts, McMahan said. Her first effort of bread pudding didn't go very well, the owner admitted.
``Because I ate most of it,'' she said, chuckling. ``We're going to try that again.''
So far, Jo's Pizza has been frequented by residents of Windsor and out-of-towners alike. Even truckers are beginning to stop by.
``I think word is spreading,'' Morlan said. ``Everybody tells us that they hear we have the best steak subs around.''
McMahan already is thinking about expanding the hours of the carry-out only food outlet once the summer months arrive.
But, for now, she's simply enjoying the success of her first venture on her own into the restaurant business.
For more information, or to order, call 757-242-4088. MEMO: Linda McNatt writes a regular feature about local businesses
for The Sun. If you have ideas, fax them to her at 934-7515 or call her
at 934-7561. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Jo Lynne McMahan, left, tosses a pizza crust while Joan Morlan works
at the stove at Jo's Pizza in Windsor.