Dax Ross opened Pizzamoreh Artisan Pizza in West Kelowna on National Pizza Day and he’s looking forward to celebrating many more in the future.
“My mom is a chef and I’ve grown up with her cooking food, and I always loved food and I just love pizza,” said the 20 year old, adding taking over the business was a good opportunity.
Pizzamoreh is housed at his mom’s old cafe, Patricia Guest’s L’Oven, and features a wood-fired pizza oven and two-foot long slices of pizza.
When Ross was seven-years-old, he sold fruit and chips along the beach. Thast is where he started thinking about being an entrepreneur.
That, and he enjoys pizza.
“It’s just been something that I’ve enjoyed making and seeing people eat with my mom’s previous restaurant,” Ross said.
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“I’m definitely excited but I’m super nervous, I have a lot of support (from friends and family.)”
“That’s the more Italian way of doing it, we don’t really serve the Napoleon way, it’s a quick five-minute in and out (pizza),” he said, adding with a Canadian twist.
“It’s in the name, Pizzamoreh. Amore means love in Italian, in the name we kind of tried to make it Italian, Canadian because it’s more of Canadian pizza. Most Italians don’t put pineapple on their pizza.”
Currently, Ross is learning the ropes from Guest for the next month, before he fully takes over.
Eventually, he said he would like to expand his business and use the pizza parlour as a place where people can gather and learn.
“If this is something that is going to work, right now we have a prime location and it’s good for the amount of traffic that goes through here… the location is good, I’m more leaning toward franchising and seeing how far we can make it,” Ross said.
He also started a clothing company, but the young entrepreneur would like to incorporate it within the parlour. His ultimate goal lies outside of the food industry.
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“It’s a big goal and big dream but I really want to recreate the schooling system and create a private school,” Ross said.
He wants to hold business meetings and create an environment where people can enjoy pizza and beverages while hosting community events similar to Ted Talks.
Ross said he never enjoyed school and would like to own his own private school one day.
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