Meet the Lancaster students who run and own Sun Pizza

While so many of us enjoy pizza from time to time, these two students have gone one step further and decided to own a pizzeria.

Previously only open for takeaway and collection, Monday 13th September marks the in dining return of Sun Pizza

We sat down with the new owners, Lancaster third-year students Adam Moniuszko and Reuben Pike, who both study law, to talk about the business.

“After the pandemic, we sat down and said it’s time to start a business”

Sun pizza was taken over by the duo from the previous owner, and they’ve set out to make it the best pizzeria for students in Lancaster.

When talking to them about how they got into the business we were told that “we have a very similar mindset and work in harmony together.”

Adam told us how before university he lived on “chicken and chips” but has since made cooking a “hobby and a passion that he’s dedicated to.” He’s “pretty handy with a knife” having professional training in the kitchen from previous jobs so when the opportunity arose, they both jumped at it.

Reuben spoke with Adam and “ran the numbers, everything seemed plausible, so we ran them a few more times”, and now they own a restaurant. Reubens’ experience comes from training in “catering and managing the front of house area.” The two of them go together perfectly, allowing each other to “build on the skills we already have while knowing everything is getting sorted.”

“We’re happy to create and sell an amazing product together”

Their menu is a “very traditional Italian menu”, taking advantage of great tastes and their cooking ability, “all the dough is made 72 hours prior and hand-stretched for the best quality possible.” The main  thing on their minds is the fact that “we are students, we know what it’s like for students who just want some good food but don’t want to break the bank.” They plan on being “competitive” with the bigger brands of Lancaster, and although “focused on our studies”, they both have high hopes for Sun Pizza.

“We’re very student orientated, pricing, environment, everything- we want to be a safe space for everyone like us”

The main hope for the brand is to be “student everything at the front”, they both want to help people “have a real uni experience.” Expanding on this for us, they explained how “for some students, they want some part-time work for extra cash, for others, they need a job to be able to survive, we want to do our bit, be a positive environment for everyone in those categories and between.”

They told us that although they haven’t been open in term time yet, they’re excited to juggle the responsibilities as “our employees and customers are like us, we understand how it is as a student, so we want to work with students so that they get the most out of coming here.” After already completing two years of university, they believe they have the time management down to help their staff not be overworked, help their customers relax, and help themselves pull it all off successfully.

Although they have an emphasis on students they still can’t wait to be open for “the general public in Lancaster”. “We’re excited to be able to give back to such a wonderful community, it’ll be nice to have locals, and hopefully make a name for ourselves in the city.”

Is it worth a visit?

We got an exclusive sit down with both owners before they officially opened their doors to try the food. We don’t claim to be food critiques but we would give as many Michelin stars as possible, the environment was warm and welcoming, the food was beautifully prepared, the entire experience was perfect not just as students, but as customers going anywhere. 

Sun Pizza is open for business starting the 13th of September.

If you’re interested in working for the company you can contact them at [email protected]

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