In 2009, Rob and Theresa gave birth to a sweet little girl. They named her Ella.
Not long after, their entrepreneurial spirit led them to launch a small wood oven pizza business at the Newmarket Farmers’ Market. They called it Ella’s Oven.
It did not take long for Ella’s Oven to become the ‘must stop’ for local residents every Saturday morning. Before they knew it, the word spread and visitors from over an hour away were coming to the market just to experience their fabulous wood fired pizza.
It might have been the thin crust, or it could have been the fresh, homemade ingredients; perhaps it was the intrigue of the customers gathered around to watch the process and see their sizzling hot pizza come out of the oven. Maybe it was the friendliness of the team, starting with Henry who greeted customers at the front to take their order.
Whatever it was, Ella’s Oven quickly grew in popularity; lineups built up to 20-30 minutes long, and seldom did regular customers EVER miss a Saturday! Rain or shine, people came to get their pizza early before going on with their day.
Ella’s Oven did not have a website, nor did they have a social media presence when they started their business...and yet, their business grew significantly through word-of-mouth by doing one thing really well: They made the very BEST wood fired pizza that anyone had ever tasted!
There is a saying in business that goes like this: “Shortage creates demand.”
Rob tells the story about being in their first year. He had 1,000 business cards printed; after 3 years, they ran out and he did not print any more. Ella’s Oven did not have business cards for the next 8 years. They didn’t need to. Their product was THAT good and they were booked solid each season!
They knew that they had something special…and so did everyone else!
Following the 2020 season, the world entered a very different period in time. Covid-19 changed the face of so many businesses and caused people to make decisions about how they wanted to go forward.
Rob, Theresa, and Ella made the decision to sell the business and turn it over to people who would carry on the legacy that they worked so hard to build.
Prior to completing our agreement to buy the company, we made a very important commitment to them. In taking over something that was so special and part of their family for so long, we promised to take care of the business and protect the strong tradition that they worked so hard to build over time.
Ella, the ‘big copper oven’ is in good hands. Remember, a promise is a promise!
