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Building a pizza place from the ground up

SWFL Reinvented: Moving Forward episode 4
Posted at 7:12 PM, Feb 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-17 19:12:48-05

BABCOCK RANCH, Fla — Opening a new restaurant is a huge risk. When you do it in the middle of a pandemic, you’re taking an even bigger chance. But Bethany Hunt feels good about her choice. Even if she can’t step foot into her new pizza place.

Bethany’s story is part of our new digital series,SWFL Reinvented: Moving Forward. Every Thursday, Fox 4 Morning News Anchor, Chris Shaw, will introduce you to a new person who is changing the course of their life to start a new business. We’ll then follow them through the process of opening and working to make the first year in business a success. We’ll document all their ups and downs.

Bethany is scheduled to open Pi Local in August, in the new Publix shopping center on Highway 31 in Babcock Ranch.

“I honestly feel really good about it. I feel like there’s not a better time to be doing this,” Bethany says.

“The cool thing is, since we’re building this from scratch, there’s all kind of new protocols in place. We’ve got touchless doors, like automatic doors. They’re putting sinks and wash basins all through the plaza so people can wash their hands. And there’s all kinds of safety protocols now that we get to build and have knowledge about. So honestly, I feel like the safety protocols are in place, and we’re coming out of this on the other end and starting at a good time."

We’ll tell you Bethany’s backstory, why she decided to open a pizza restaurant here, in a future episode.