Hungry Hank's Pizzeria
I was really happy with The Progress Fund — just the ease of everything. We didn’t have to jump through all of the hoops like you have to do with a bank.
People
Ed & Cindy Deemer have a large, close family, so it’s no surprise that their son, Jeremy, and nieces, Haley, Jessie and friend, Sammie, co-manage Jeannette’s top-rated pizzeria. When the previous shop’s owner decided to sell, Ed sought to make what he calls “an investment for our future.” He negotiated a price, but heard that getting a bank loan would be no piece of cake. “If I have to go through all of that and still work my daytime job,” he concluded, “it’s going to be tough.”
Progress
Ed’s real estate agent, Pam, told him about The Progress Fund. “We didn’t have to jump through all of the crazy hoops like you have to with a bank,” he says. The Progress Fund loaned $149,500, allowing Ed to buy the property and add equipment.
Impact
Now equipped with online ordering, a new deep fryer and enhanced menu – Ed’s favorite is the turkey bacon club – Hungry Hank’s Pizzeria is even more of a Jeannette institution. Ed plans to expand the seating for more eat-in business and open new locations. The growing staff includes 10 members of his family and friends, all tossing dough, chopping garden vegetables and making their special sauce. “It’s probably from growing up around each other that they really work well together, it’s like an assembly line. It’s fun to watch” says Ed.
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