By Meaghan O’Neal
Now celebrating eight years in business in New Tampa, the husband-and-wife team of Chris and Ines Bove has built the Westshore Pizza location in the Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza (between Best Buy and Men’s Wearhouse) into a deliciously successful eatery that has mirrored the success of its corporate parent.
The Westshore Pizza franchise originally began with one location in South Tampa in 1994 with the mission to bring the “Taste of Philly” to the Tampa Bay area. Since then, Westshore has grown to more than 30 locations in Florida and Ohio. As it has grown, the Westshore corporate entity has required that restaurant owners, like Chris and Ines, maintain the same values with which it was started.
In 2007, Chris’ parents, Richard and Chrystel Bove, helped Chris and Ines buy the New Tampa Westshore Pizza location. The Boves were excited and grateful to have the opportunity to own a pizza restaurant. Chris grew up in New Jersey and describes himself as a “pizza addict.” He had planned on becoming a musician, but when his parents offered him the idea of the store, he went for it because of his love for the food. Ines is originally from Bolivia, where she lived until she married Chris in 1997. For seven years before opening the restaurant with Chris, Ines worked as a manager for Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant in St. Petersburg.
Today, the Boves and their children are flourishing in the New Tampa community. Chris is there every day to, “make sure that customers get a good product.” Even the Boves’ 14-year-old daughter Sofia contributes to the business by working the cash register on Friday nights.
The Boves say they have many customers who are loyal to them. One of those customers, Ken from Tampa Palms, noted his love for Westshore saying, “Westshore Pizza has always been my favorite place for pizza and subs. I simply love this Westshore Pizza store (for its) great food, service and all-around great people.”
Ultimately, Westshore Pizza seeks to serve its customers by providing fresh ingredients that are never pre-made. The dough is made fresh and ingredients are prepared every day, which guarantees that your food will be as fresh as possible.
Fresh dough gives Westshore the unique ability to customize any pizza to fit every customer’s needs. Ines says, “We make our own dough so we can stretch it however you like it. When you work with frozen or pre-made dough, there are certain things you can’t do. We work the oven and can leave it in or take it out whenever we want to.”
Therefore, each pizza can be cooked exactly how each customer wants it — whether they want it lightly baked, crispy, or even extra crispy (like a certain local news magazine editor prefers it).
Westshore’s pizzas range from the standard pepperoni and cheese to Philly Deluxe and their newest fiery sriracha pizza. According to Ines, the most popular pizza at the New Tampa location is the White Spinach Ricotta, which is made with their original recipe white sauce.
However, Westshore isn’t just a pizza joint; the menu features 30 items for lunch and dinner. Appetizers such as mozzarella sticks and garlic knots can be added to any meal. The Westshore wings are a party favorite and come in Buffalo and barbeque flavors. There also are Greek, Caesar and other fresh salads.
After pizza, Westshore is most known for their Philly cheesesteaks which can be made with steak or chicken. For calzone and stromboli lovers, Westshore offers “Meat Eaters” and vegetarian options and more. Other sandwiches include the Italian Philly Hoagie, Grilled Ham & Cheese and many more. Traditional entrées such as chicken and eggplant parmigiana can be served as in both oven-baked sandwiches and dinners. Other tasty new items are the 100-percent angus burgers, which were added to the menu last year.
If you’re looking for something sweet to finish your meal, try the New York-style cheesecake or a traditional cannoli.
Chris says that freshly made food requires time to prepare, which is why the Westshore staff recommends that if you have a short lunch break and/or a special order, you should call about 10-15 minutes ahead so that it’ll be ready for you. However, he adds, at lunch and dinner hours, pizza also is sold by the slice and will usually be ready in just a few minutes.
Every day, Westshore Pizza offers two slices of pizza and a drink for just $6. See the ad on page 56 for the New Tampa location’s eighth anniversary promotions for the month of April.
Chris and Ines feel that the best part of owning their restaurant has been the friendships they’ve made with their staff and customers.
“It’s been very rewarding,” Ines says, “Having the customers appreciate what we do and come back to us, that means a lot.”
The Boves also have built a staff that they’ve invested in and helped grow individually and as a team. Several of their employees are young and have been shaped by their jobs at Westshore. Ines says, “It’s the mother in me” and that she knows, “it’s important for them to succeed in life.” That has meant being there when they need her and even covering shifts when an employee has to study.
Victoria Barnes, 22, is an assistant manager who has worked for Westshore Pizza for three years. Since working there, she says she’s supported herself through her studies at USF, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and began pursuing her Master’s , also in Psychology. Victoria says the support she and the other employees have received has built a deep dedication to the business.
“We care; we really do,” Victoria says. “It matters to us if we mess something up. We care to make sure everything is right and that we serve customers.”
Making customers happy is very important to the staff and owners of the New Tampa Westshore location, who will always go the extra mile to ensure that happiness.
Westshore Pizza’s New Tampa location (18045 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.) is open Sun.– Thur., 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fri.-Sat. Call 971-7771 or visit WestshorePizza.com for more info or to place an order.
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