Ice House Pizzeria & Grille,Conneaut Lake, PA

From Pizza to Doughnuts, Ice House Pizzeria & Grille Discovers the Flexibility and Performance of the Peerless 2348P

Gary Hite has owned and operated multiple restaurants in his career, but it is his latest venture that has turned him into a loyal customer of Peerless Ovens and fan of the 2348P model. Ice House Pizzeria & Grille in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania opened earlier this year to great success – but the journey to get there had many twists and turns.In search of a new oven, Gary said he researched Peerless Ovens in the search for a commercial oven that would fit his specific needs.  “We had researched the oven – I wanted a four-deck oven but I needed something that was narrow and sleek and that was the reason why we ended up settling on the (2348P),” he said.  Then, he took his shopping to the next level and inquired about seeing the oven in the factory.  “I went that way for a trip for something else and I contacted him and said, ‘hey I’m only about an hour away can I swing over?,’ and Bryan said ‘Sure – no problem!”

Unfortunately, after ordering the oven he wanted, the unthinkable happened.

Gary’s restaurant was damaged in a fire in May of 2019 and he was forced to temporarily close and regroup.  “I wasn’t able to pick it up when it was originally planned,” Gary explained, “which was basically our saving grace because the brand-new oven would have been lost in our fire, too.”

After overcoming many hurdles, Ice House Pizzeria and Grille opened up earlier this year to smashing success.  Gary says that the oven has been amazing and sees heavy use both for traditional items like pizza and subs as well as a less common offering – doughnuts. “I actually put tons of doughnuts in there in the morning – big time.  We do them 6 days a week – especially Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We run the doughnuts on sheet trays – since these are all bakeable units I try to use them to their full capacity,” he said.  The oven worked out so well, in fact, that they added a second 2348P six weeks later.  “We as a team, with these ovens, are able to just crank through the food – we are so busy I wish I had double the space because I would probably put in two MORE ovens!”

“It was a plus-plus buying experience all the way – I couldn’t have asked for better attention to detail, and the fact that Bryan would let me come visit the factory was great,” Gary stated.  “Also, it meant a lot holding onto the oven after the fire.  I had paid for it but they understood the situation and were very patient – it was a trying time for myself and they were very understanding and that’s the reason I didn’t even flinch about coming back for a second oven.  Truthfully, they have me as a loyal customer now.”

Ice House Pizzeria & Grille
390 Water St.
Conneaut Lake, PA 16316
(814) 213-0076