Photo supplied.
Pictured from left to right are Richard, new owner Brandon and Jim in front of the newest Donna’s Pizza location in Norwood.
Three generations of Donna’s Pizza owner/operators celebrated the newest incarnation of the popular pizza restaurant at its official opening on January 13th in Norwood.
The date is significant, marking 31 years to the day of the opening of the original Donna’s Pizza in Millbrook in 1988. The family’s pizza making tradition was started by Donna Chaplin, the late wife of former Cavan Councillor and Deputy Mayor Jim Chaplin, who opened the original Donna’s Pizza in the location currently occupied by Bewdley Pizza in the plaza behind Mister Convenience.
After growing her business to three locations, declining health forced Donna to hand it over to her son Richard in 2001. The business was later sold to a former manager but Richard continued in the business, managing some of Canada’s largest pizza shops. In 2009 Richard launched his own pizza business in 2009, eventually branching out into other food specialities. Last summer, he sold the business to his son, who decided to refocus the restaurant offerings and return to the family tradition of pizza. He renamed the business in honour of his grandmother, using the original recipe developed by Donna and her son Richard. Donna’s photo holds a pride of place in the new outlet, a tribute to her inspiration to her family as matriarch and successful business operator. To learn more about this new restaurant, visit www.donnaspizza.ca. KG
