From Matsu-Valley Frontiersman
Feb 21, 2016

WASILLA — Getting a slice of pie from one of the Valley’s longtime restaurants just got a little easier.

While officially open for less than a week, Pizza Ria Delphi Express owner John Christensen said Friday the westward expansion of Palmer’s Pizza Ria Delphi has been a satisfying entry into the Wasilla food scene.

And who could argue with the location, a prime piece of Palmer-Wasilla Highway real estate near Mile 7.5 that sees thousands of cars daily, all passing what was once an espresso and ice cream stand. The building sits between a Matanuska Telephone Association branch and the Schwabenhof bar, and is primarily designed for pick-up and delivery — although drive-up orders are welcome.

“We have been extremely satisfied with the response — it’s been great,” said Christensen, who fielded questions, handed out menus and filled orders from drive-up customers Friday afternoon. “We still had some little things to finish up, but people kept driving by asking when we were going to open, so I figured — let’s just do it.

“It’s still a little Spartan,” he added. “But the food’s good.”

Christensen, who officially took over ownership of the almost 40-year-old Palmer restaurant a year ago from the Karagounis family, said he had been scouting for a new location along the Palmer-Wasilla Highway for a while. He had even taken note of the empty coffee stand, but it took some prodding from the building’s landlord to get things moving.

“MTA owns the building,” Christensen said, “and a lot of those guys eat at our restaurant in Palmer. They heard I was looking for a new location and asked me to consider it. I initially thought there wouldn’t be enough room, but it was surprising how big it was inside. It was already plumbed for water, sewer and gas.”

A veteran of the construction trade as well as the restaurant business, Christensen handled all the remodeling and added a 16-by-16 extension to house the ovens and prep area.

“I picked those up in Anchorage and put in new stones and new burners,” Christensen said of the ovens. “They’re pretty well refurbished.”

He said the location also provides better access for entry and exit than most spots along one of the busiest roads in the state.

“I think the timing of the (traffic) lights helps a lot,” Christen said of the signals at Shoreline Drive and Seward Meridian Parkway. “It seems much easier to get on the highway from here.”

The menu is fairly comparable to the Palmer restaurant with the exception of burgers and other sautéed items “from the charbrolier,” Christensen said. “We have lasagna, salads, calzones, sandwiches, chicken strips — and of course pizza.”

He said plans are in the works for a pizza-by-the-slice offering during the lunch hour and an espresso machine also is on the way in the coming weeks. Come spring, a soft-serve ice cream machine will complement an outdoor patio he plans to set up.

Delivery is free with a $10 minimum. Christensen said the delivery area is west of Trunk Road to the Parks Highway-Palmer-Wasilla Highway intersection, just north of Bogard Road and just south of the Parks to Nelson Road. That could change as the delivery drivers learn the area, he said.

“Right now for deliveries, it needs to be a 10-minute drive,” Christensen said. “We want the service to be quick.”

The Palmer native, who began working as a cook for the Karagounis family as a high-school junior in 1982, said being a restaurateur has always been in his blood.

“I grew up with Bill and Tony (Karagounis) and they have always been like family,” Christensen said. “I left it for a while, but I have always wanted to have a pizza restaurant.”

Hours are 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, call 373-2929.

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com


This story can be found at:
https://www.frontiersman.com/business/popular-palmer-pizza-joint-opens-new-location/article_f907ef9c-d82b-11e5-b24f-c3f1dbd93b09.html