Take A Look Inside Sakhos Pizzeria In The Dorwin Plaza

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The Dorwin Plaza’s revitalization continues with a hot new spot for pizza and snacks: Sakhos Pizzeria.

Store owner Jason Kantarjian, who is originally from Leamington with a Lebanese background, opened the shop with high hopes in the up-and-coming plaza with entrepreneurship in his blood.

Sakhos owner Jason Kantarjian.

“My father and brothers have always run businesses, my father running quite a few gas stations and now a contracting company. Being your own boss has always been in the family.” He ventured out to be his own boss in mid-October, opening Sakhos, which is named after his father’s nickname at home.

Before opening the pizzeria, Jason worked in industrial recycling and sales. “I’ve done office work and it just isn’t for me. There’s just nothing like being your own boss and this opportunity came up.”

Jason was inspired for his fashion of pizza making by Peter Andary of Rina’s Pizza in Leamington, who taught him everything he knows. “As a kid, I was always around the shop, and over the years saw what he did. When the time came, he started showing me the recipes for the dough–dough here is made just about night from scratch, as is the sauce which is made from organic tomato puree. We shred the cheese daily, and everything is fresh and healthy. We want to bring back good old fashion pizza. Nothing here is processed.”

Jason also mentions their pizza is not made with corn meal as he opts to use a screen when making the pizza for half of the process to keep it all together.

He explains the cheese is ‘old fashion’ true cheese with a nice stretch, and that he deep fries his panzerottis because he was taught to seal them in a proper way that makes him able to.  Jason also primarily uses round pepperoni and not shredded, but can shred them on request if that is what the customer wants.

“I grew up with pizza,” Jason explains. “I always saw the atmosphere in Rina’s. We made the shop here with not only pizza, but we also do great ribs, chicken wings, fish and chips, popcorn shrimp, dip fried pickle chips, and I make a mean sub.”

Sakhos Pizzeria features a stone-baked oven, with the flame heating the stone and the stone heating the pizza.

“The plaza is coming back,” he explains. “Before I made it official that this was where I was bringing the shop, the owners wanted to bring [the plaza] back to life and it’s great that they took action. There are new roofs, a new parking lot, new air conditioning units, and new paint jobs; it’s gotten a nice face-lift.”

In terms of the shop’s interior decor, Jason did it himself, with a cartoon-like drawing of his father up on the walls, as the shop is named after him, along with a beautiful landscape. “The paining resembles him a lot,” he says, explaining he has a close family and wanted to drive home that the pizza at Sakhos is essentially “home-made” pizza.

“Feedback has been positive so far,” Jason remarks, crediting his only advertising to social media and word-of-mouth. “The plaza and neighbourhood have been very welcoming, and everyone likes to try something new; that’s why I have such a variety on the menu.

“I can accommodate to anything,” Jason continues on. “I get people who want thick crust, thin crust, some customers want it half-done and doughy, some want it crispy and well done. When someone tells me what they want I do my best to accommodate for everything they want from toppings and past that. I also an open to recommendations to try out. We make custom pizza I guess you could say!”

The best part of the business so far Jason explains has been the people. “The new faces and new customers are always great, I love seeing people’s reactions and getting repeat customers that compliment the food and what we’ve done to the unit here makes my day. They appreciate that we offer a sit-down restaurant to enjoy your pizza and whatever else you order and not just a take-out place.”

Sakhos Pizza offers halal, gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan pizza options including vegan cheese and vegan pepperoni. Jason also features a home-made garlic sauce.

Sakhos Pizza is located at 2405 Dougall in Unit #2 at the Dorwin Plaza. See what they have to offer and their hours on their Facebook page here.