Anyone passing along Niagara Street in the City of Tonawanda recently may have noticed there’s a new place to get some grub along the river.
To be more specific, it’s an old place with a new face. Mississippi Mudds Pizza opened a week ago in the space once occupied by the Tiki Hut, completing a three-restaurant monopoly across the street from Niawanda Park.
Old Man River offers an assortment of seafood and Mississippi Mudds has all the burgers, hot dogs and ice cream necessary to satisfy a hungry family looking for a quick bite to eat on a summer day. But there was one tried and true Western New York staple missing, and when the Tiki Hut’s usual operators decided to pass on the taking lease this season, the time was right for a tasty experiment.
“When they decided not to run it this year, we decided to try pizza on the river,” said Rob Rodenhaus, one of the managers at Mississippi Mudds. “Nothing along here does pizza.”
The place offers take-out or eat-in slices and whole pies, with a list of toppings including all the standards and even a few famous Buffalo varieties like steak and chicken finger. The shop opens at noon and keeps churning out pizzas until 8 p.m. – for now, anyway.
“Once business picks up in the summer, we might stay open later,” said Anna Rodenhaus, Rob’s sister and the main operator of the new establishment.
A month of work prepared the storefront for opening day, including the addition on a small pizza oven. In the Tiki Hut days, the building was used to make wraps, pitas, smoothies and desserts. Now that it’s charged with making something that’s piping hot, the building has a different vibe altogether.
Contact reporter Daniel Pye at 693-1000, ext. 158.
Photos
Anna Rodenhaus is the manager at the new Mississippi Mudds Pizza. There are now three Niagara Street eateries under the Mudds umbrella.DOUG BENZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/Doug Benz(Click for larger image)
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