Johnnys Pizza House

From a tiny store with three parking spaces in 1967 to the largest locally owned pizza chain in North Louisiana, Johnnys Pizza has come a long way, tossing and turning the regions favorite pizza without fail day after day. Johnny Huntsman had always wanted to go into business for himself. But the only thing he knew at the time was how to make one heck of a pizza--learned while working at a pizza place in college. One day he passed by (what is now) the University of Louisiana at Monroe and saw a building for rent. And with some borrowed money he opened his first restaurant on DeSiard Street. There were no other pizza stores in Monroe in those days. And most people around had never eaten pizza. Things started off slow, and when a national chain came to town and started advertising in a big way, Huntsman thought it was over. Instead, the advertising created awareness about pizza, and Huntsmans product started to take hold and claim its own following. After fast growth i...