On a rainy Saturday afternoon I found myself at Sonny’s Pizza Den located in Maryland Heights. The new restaurant opened in late November, taking over the location that was previously operated by Balducci’s and Lalo’s. Walking through the door I immediately noticed the cozy vibe that the restaurant presents. The wooden interior was decorated with calm ambient lighting and signs that represent the local St. Louis area, which made it feel like a sports bar and a quiet Italian restaurant at the same time.
Before I came to eat at Sonny’s, I wanted to know a little bit about the place. I spoke with the owner and operator of Sonny’s Pizza Den, James Vaughan III to gain an understanding of the restaurants’ backstory.
“My favorite food is pizza; I love it,” Vaughan said. “When I learned about this location being available, the wheels in my head started to turn and would not stop. My mind still keeps going, everyday things pop up as I am still learning this craft.”
Vaughan talked me through the process of opening a new restaurant, and I was surprised when I heard how quick the process was.
“It was in August when I found out the spot’s availability, I made a call to the landlord and in a couple weeks, we struck a deal,” Vaughan said.
Sonny’s opened in late November, which is just around a month after Vaughan discovered the location. Opening a restaurant in such a short amount of time is no easy task. Vaughan mentioned that nothing goes as planned when telling me about the struggles he faced.
“As every restaurant owner will tell you, the struggles are many.” Vaughan said. “Staffing is one of the hardest. Trying to get everyone on the same page takes time and patience. And of course the investment side of having working capital is key. Things never go as planned.”
It requires motivation and discipline to push through the roadblocks and challenges of starting something from scratch. Vaughan describes how the restaurant’s name motivates him and gives him wings.
“I tried to be creative when I came up with the name, but the memories of my father taking me to eat at this spot would not go away. So I decided to name it after him. It is a family name. The name gives me wings and purpose,” Vaughan said.
With a better understanding of the restaurant’s backstory and its owner’s owner’s passion, I decided it was time to jump into the menu and choose what I was going to try out. I decided to order three items from the menu. A Caesar salad, BBQ and Buffalo wings and the BBQ chicken pizza. The first to arrive was the Caesar salad. Even though it was just a starter I was surprised how flavorful it was. I could tell there was effort put into it because it tasted clean and fresh. The Caesar dressing was a little bit overpowering but I did not mind too much because it added to the flavor of the mix. It was put together very well and was a nice way to start my meal. Out next were the wings. I do not usually eat wings all that often but they were definitely solid and met my expectations. The BBQ and Buffalo sauces were both sweet and paired well with the meat and ranch. Tasty, Just not something that blew me away.
Finally, the pizza came out. My expectations for the pizza were high after reading all the positive reviews online. After I ate a slice It was safe to say that it exceeded my expectations. The thick buttery crust was soft but perfectly crispy around the edges. The BBQ sauce was rich and flavorful and paired perfectly with the gooey cheese and red onions which made for a delicious pizza. This was definitely the best pizza I have had in a while and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is craving a good pizza.
I went home full and pleased with the food I ate. If you are looking for a new restaurant to try out I would highly recommend giving Sonny’s Pizza Den a try. Check them out online at www.sonnyspizzaden.com, or in person at 12527 Bennington Place. They are open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then they reopen 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner.
