After returning home, he worked as a chef for three years and spent another eight in management with Hilton hotels. But he never let go of the dream of having his own place.
With the help of his parents, Kelly and Becky Newsom, that dream became reality when Hunter opened Industrial Pizza + Brew in 2019.
“Pizza was just something that I felt this area needed, more so our specific style,” Hunter said. “We just went all in, and it’s been great. We feel really blessed.”
Industrial Pizza + Brew offers unique, gourmet-style, thin-crust pizzas made with only fresh, local ingredients.
“We make our own marinara sauce, our own salad dressings, we chop up our own vegetables,” Kelly said.
Local ingredients plus local support, Kelly said, have been key to the restaurant’s success.
“It’s been strictly organic growth,” he said. “We wanted our customers to feel a part of that, and they have.”
Part of that growth has been boosted by the restaurant’s prime location in the Richardson Heights Shopping Center at Belt Line Road and Central Expressway, which has seen increased traffic in recent years, Kelly said.
The restaurant’s early success prompted the Newsoms to briefly discuss opening another location. They instead opted to expand after the space next door became available, Kelly said.
The expansion will add 750 square feet to the restaurant along with a second oven. It is scheduled to be complete this fall.
Kelly said Industrial has been a great outlet for him and his wife during retirement, but the chance to work with their son has been the highlight of their experience.
“You just don’t recognize how much your kid knows until you work alongside them,” he said. “I go, ‘Gosh, he’s got some business skills. I didn’t know that. That’s the same guy who I used to change his diapers 30 years ago.’”
Industrial Pizza + Brew
100 S. Central Expressway, Ste. 72, Richardson
469-399-7877
www.industrialpizzaandbrew.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 4-9 p.m., closed Sun.
