ST. JOSEPH—The next time you find yourself pressed for time and looking for a fast lunch in southtown St. Joe, why not step out of the fast-food franchise rut and give Ramona Bells Pizzeria a try?

Offering take-out and delivery service for sandwiches, salads and pasta along with pizza, Ramona Bells provides restaurant patrons with a whole new option for both lunch and dinner.

“Our sandwiches cost about the same as the fast food restaurants out there, we make them just as fast, and I would have to say that they taste better,” said Brad Hurlbutt, owner of the new restaurant.

Officially open for business on May 30, the restaurant celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 16. Wishing Hurlbutt success in his new venture were St. Joseph Mayor Michael Garey, as well as Dubelsa Mata, Margaret Adams and Patricia Flourry of the Women’s Business Center (WBC) at Cornerstone Alliance.

“When Brad came to visit us at Cornerstone, he was like, ‘I’m ready. I have most of the equipment, and I want to do this now. Let’s expedite this process,’” said Dubelsa Mata, business developer at WBC. “So, we got him onto the State of Michigan website and helped him research it. He was like, ‘Next day, next day, next day,’ and he really surprised us. He made it happen!”

Naming the restaurant after his daughter, Ramona Bell, who will be 4 years old this month, Hurlbutt was anxious to get the restaurant going as quickly as possible.

“I know, for sure, he’s been working hard,” Mata said.

In order to jump-start his business, Hurlbutt is offering several different specials. For example, patrons can carry out a large, one-topping pizza for just $5.75. Another special includes four large, two-topping pizzas for $24.95.

Hurlbutt also takes a lot of pride in the freshness of the ingredients he uses to make his pizzas.

“We never use frozen cheese,” Hurlbutt said. “When cheese is frozen, it loses moisture, and then when it cooks, it tends to get a little chewier.”

In addition, Ramona Bells makes their own pizza dough daily.

“We do a traditional, hand-pressed crust,” Hurlbutt said. “Our pizza dough is made fresh every day.”

Hurlbutt is so clear on what he wants for his own pizzeria because he has worked for other pizzerias in the past, including Saylor’s Pizzeria and Pizza Hut.

“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Hurlbutt said, “but this is my first rodeo by myself.”

Beyond his 13 years of experience in the pizza business, Hurlbutt has another element working in his favor: a convenient location at 2809 Niles Ave.

As Mayor Garey noted, the former site of Capozio’s Pizza is “a historic location for great pizza.”

So far, the reception for Ramona Bells has been positive.

“We’ve been looking at reviews, and everybody has nothing but nice things to say about Brad,” Mata said.

Ramona Bells Pizzeria can be reached at (269) 982-7777, and their menu is available on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ramonabellspizzeria. They are open Mondays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. They are closed Sundays.