When Bill, Marti, Nate and Kayla Burke opened the doors to their brand new Pat’s Pizza, it was an instant hit for the town of Machias. Pizza, wings, and sandwiches at great prices and a relaxed dining area filled with flat screen TVs, it was perfect!
The road to opening day was long, but Bill says they did not go at it alone. Many different community players took on roles to help them get there. Bill calls them “his team”.
Ruth Cash-Smith from CEI was able to provide the Burkes with the business counseling they needed to complete their business plan. Machias Savings Bank approved them for a business loan, and Sunrise County Economic Council gave Pat’s Pizza a small business loan that helped fill their funding gap
Once their funding was secure and business took off, we were able to give them training including: ServSafe, QuickBooks for record keeping, marketing, and even a training on Health Care options for employees.
SCEC also recently worked with Pat’s Pizza to provide grant funding through the Maine Wood Tourism Training Initiative for them to create a website and do some updating to their social media accounts. Their new website includes the original Pat’s Pizza Story and the Burkes’ personal story, as well as their menu items, daily specials, and contact information.
This new Pizza place not only provided the community with a new dining option, it also provided people in Machias with jobs. Cooks, Janitors, Wait Staff, Bartenders, Dishwashers, and Managers are just a few of the jobs that were available once their doors were opened. Right now, Pat’s Pizza employs 40 people in Washington County. And they’re still looking to hire a few more.
Now, 200,000 pizzas later, Bill says that the support he received from “his team” is a major reason that Pat’s Pizza in Machias is a success today. He loves his job and the community that he serves.
