Long before you could get food, a cup of coffee, or a dessert on every corner and way before many families opted to eat out way more than eating in, there was a certain romanticism about not eating at home.

 

Up until I graduated from high school and began living on my own, particularly in my earlier years, eating out was a big deal. Even having mom or dad bring home food from some of the local restaurants was a rare and cherished occurrence.

 

The biggest bonanza of them all was getting something from the local restaurant of choice. Here in Bridgeport, many grew up on Twin Oaks and Oliverio’s Ristorante (or when it was Sonny’s). While those two restaurants are still many folks go-to joints to this day, there was a novelty in a good way to it, I would imagine, when many of you who are in the 50-plus range went there as a kid.

 

Where I grew up in Clarksburg, we had one of those restaurants. It was in my community of North View and, well, getting food from there was the ultimate treat.

 

I imagine some may have figured it out already, but I am talking about Smitty’s Pizza, situated right there on Hamill Avenue where it has been for more than half a century. Although I do not nearly frequent it as much as when I lived there, Smitty’s Pizza ranks high on my favorite pizza list.

 

Although I will wax nostalgic about Smitty’s here shortly, there is a reason why I am talking about it. After more than 50 years being ran by the Brunetti family, Smitty’s Pizza is for sale.

 

When my wife asked me if I had heard about Smitty’s, I got a little lightheaded thinking it had closed. Fortunately, that is not the case.

 

Right now, one of Harrison County’s most iconic restaurant brands is for sale. The sale includes the business, the recipes, the name, and the building.

 

I bring it up because, like many, I am a proponent of not only supporting small business, but seeing it survive. Even under new ownership, it would be in that local community’s interest and the local interest to see it be around for another 50 years.

 

My fondness for the business dates back, as noted above, to when I was a kid. At that time, the namesake of the business, Dominick S. “Smitty” Brunetti, was running the show after he opened shop in 1970.

 

Everyone knew Smitty in North View, who also happened to be a barber and was a former mess sergeant in the military. And it seemed like everyone knew getting pizza from his place was a big deal.

 

The really cool thing was Smitty also sponsored the North View minor league baseball team. And if you hit a home run, you got a free pizza.

 

My brother and I both played and even though I never cashed in, Tim hit a few dingers that resulted in free pizza coming our way. Even better, year-end team parties always featured as much free pizza from Smitty’s as you could eat. He supplied the pizza, the drinks, the chips, and just about everything else – and as a 7- and 8-year-old, it was one of the best days each year.

 

My addiction grew after that. Entering the old junior high system in North View, on any days it snowed, I would call my friend Dave “Goober” Knight and we would shovel snow. By this time, Smitty’s had business company that drew a ton of people daily on the same corner in the form of Bill’s Game Room – it was North View’s first arcade.

 

The goal of Goober and myself every time school was called off was simple. Make enough money to each get a pizza and play in the arcades all day. Generally, we’d make between $30 and $40 back in the early 1980s to keep us full of food and full of entertainment with a little left over.

 

The best part? Bill’s Game Room teamed up with Smitty’s and offered a free pizza to the high score each week on every machine they had. For the one time in my life, being really good at something was about to pay off.

 

For whatever reason, on the old arcade games I was good. I mean I was really good – like ranked in the world good. Bill had a game, Defender, that I played one night in 1981 for 11 and a half hours before quitting due to a nature call. That locked up the high score for the week, which meant a free pizza, and until he got rid of the game I got a free pizza every other week on that machine – you could only win every other week on a machine – for about a year or maybe longer.

 

I was good at several other machines too. Although you could only win every other week on one machine or win one pizza a week total – even if you had multiple high scores – I generally was good for three to four pizzas a month.

 

Even better, the winner got a large pizza. The round, 16-inch, uniquely square sliced pizza, would be shared with my brother and myself for most of the time Bill’s was in business.

 

By the end of the arcade era at Bill’s Game Room, I was absolutely addicted to Smitty’s Pizza. When Smitty sold the business to his son Dominick H. Brunetti and wife Barbara in 1990, nothing changed as I was a regular a couple of times a month until my marriage prompted a move from North View in 1999.  

 

Although I do not hit it as much as I used to or eat out as much as I did during my pre-marriage era, every month, or every other month I still get the craving. And I got to have a pizza and will not deviate from my sausage and pepperoni order even though I have friends that swear by many other items – including their hoagies – on the menu.

 

Here is hoping that menu stays around. Here is hoping that a small business, and an iconic one at that, continues to serve the community well into the future.

 

All you have to do to is contact Homefinders Plus Real Estate right here in Bridgeport. If you do opt to purchase it, remember me when you have that ribbon cutting ceremony – particularly if there’s a free slice available.

 

Editor's Note: Top three photos, from Smitty's Pizza Facebook page, show the outside of the buiding as well as one of their famous pizzas (with shredded sausage - the blogger's favorite) and then a pair of hoagies. Fourth photo shows the blogger playing Defender to earn a free pizza, while his older brother Tim looks on in 1981. Bottom photo shows the founder of the business, the late "Smitty" Brunetti.