Pizza since the 1960’s
It all started when the original Jolly’s Street Pizza owner Tom Stark, built our magnificent truck from scratch in early 2020. Due to health issues a couple years later, Tom and his wife Marcy decided to sell the pizza truck to myself, Ted LaVine. But the history and flavors behind Jolly’s pizza remains to this day, as the Stark family secret pizza recipe came with the truck!
Now for the history behind the pies! Tom’s father Roger Stark worked in a pizzeria in DeKalb Illinois while attending college pursuing an Art Degree. He always wanted to open his own pizzeria someday. After college he joined the Army and played football. While he was stationed in Germany, he fell in love and married Trudy, Tom’s mother. They moved back to the US and Roger played professional football for a short time.
Tom’s father still dreamed about opening a pizzeria. They bought the first building of many to come. Roger loved the challenge to take an old building, refurbish it himself and turn it into a restaurant or pizzeria. Trudy would see the vision and create the menu. After a few years running it, they would sell it and do the same thing all over again in a different community. Somewhere in those years the first Jolly Rogers Pizza was born. Roger was always jolly so that is how they came up with the name.
Many years later they settled in Vinton Iowa and built the fourth Jolly Rogers Pizza for Tom’s brother Pete. His brother and his family owned and operated it for 38 years until he recently retired.
In the mean time, Roger and Trudy moved to Door County to pursue Roger’s art career and Trudy refurbished beautiful antique furniture. They opened an art/antique gallery in Egg Harbor. During this time Tom joined the Air Force and when his tour was complete I also decided to settle in Egg Harbor.
Roger thought Door County needed a pizzeria so Roger and Tom found a building in Sturgeon Bay. They opened the fifth Jolly Rogers Pizza.
Jolly Rogers Pizza was small, open only in the evenings and specialized in pizza. They loved the “west side” but after 10 years the economy changed and they had to make a decision. Either make the small Jolly Rogers pizzeria into a full restaurant or close the business. They decided to close it, raise a family and take a break.
The intention was to open it again in a few years, somewhere in Door County with a bigger menu and larger building. After two children and other busy careers the short break turned into 20 years.
Well, fast forward to today and the Stark’s famous made from scratch family recipes from the 60’s are reborn once again. But this time we are bringing them to the streets. We look forward to seeing all of you Jolly Rogers Pizza lovers from the past and making new friends in the future as we carry on their delicious family recipes! We hope you enjoy Jolly’s Street Pizza!! We know we do!!! We look forward to serving you soon!
(920) 493-8288