Skip to main content
Clear icon
88º

Veteran-crafted pizza shop to open in Ocoee

Owners looks to help veterans who want to open a business

A pepperoni pizza from Coast to Coast Pizza Company. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

OCOEE, Fla. – A New York WaterMaker and Boar’s Head meat are some of the key ingredients that make Grand Central Pizza Station successful.

This Central Florida pizza shop is celebrating its grand opening on Friday and Saturday. It’s located at 352 Moore Road in Ocoee.

Erika Rommel, who is handling the marketing side of this operation, told News 6 her husband, Dan, and her father, Gary Foster, will be cooking at the eatery.

With this being their first restaurant venture, Rommel’s husband and her father both attended Pizzaiolo School to learn the tricks of the trade, she said.

“There are only two schools that offer this level of training in the U.S. with certifications from Italy,” Rommel said.

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

Now certified, the duo is ready to serve New York, Sicilian, gluten-free and Detroit-style pizzas.

To add on, what makes this pizza shop unique is its mission — giving back and honoring veterans, Rommel said. Rommel’s husband Dan served in the Navy.

“We are veteran- and locally-owned. One of our visions for (Grand Central Pizza Station) is to be an option for veterans who are looking to open their own business,” she said. “So, it’s important that each owner is a veteran so that we can continue to give back to that community.”

It will also offer a discount to veterans and first responders, Rommel said.

Overall, Rommel said she plans to keep growing this brand in the Orlando market as she and her team are planning to open two to three more shops in the next five years.

To check out more of Rommel’s story and to find out how to join the team click here.

News 6 first told you about this shop back in, July, but the team said that the name and logo change was due to them feeling it was a better fit for the direction of the company.

It also faced delays in opening due to hurricanes Helene and Milton, Rommel said.


Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below:


Recommended Videos