Entrepreneurs launch T&T Pizzeria

Tamara and Taylor Andresen love to work. It's a good thing, too, because the 19-year-old twins have taken on one of the hardest jobs there is - launching themselves into the restaurant business.

They will host the grand opening of their new T&T Pizzeria and Italian Deli on Sunday, April 1.

The newly minted entrepreneurs aren't walking into their new endeavor blind. They worked at Figaro's pizza parlor that occupied the same building on Hood Avenue for three years.

"We started here when we were 16," said Tamara. "Our whole life we've wanted to run a family-owned business."

Their whole life has been involved in family business. Their mother Libby recalls taking the twins to work with her in her construction cleaning business when they were toddlers. The kids grew up working, and they've developed a tremendous capacity for labor.

"It's all we've ever done," Tamara said. "It's all we wanted to do."

That passion for work took them through high school, when they worked full-time in addition to attending school. Their work enabled them to purchase cars and - more importantly - establish good credit that allowed them to obtain a loan to go into business.

"Good credit is a beautiful thing," Libby said.

The twins have done almost all the remodeling work on their pizzeria themselves - from linoleum flooring to painting. It's all done to a very high professional standard.

"They're master painters now," Libby said.

But all that is just the prelude to the main course. Taylor and Tamara plan to offer high quality pizza, "really good" Italian sandwiches and ice cream. They've spent months developing recipes with professional food consultants and, as Taylor says, they know what people like and don't like.

The pizzeria will offer takeout fully prepared or "you bake" and delivery will be available. The owners want their customers to offer suggestions.

Their younger brother Landon, 13, will break into the business working the cash register.

The pizzeria will offer cable TV and wireless Internet, and the owners intend to be fully involved in their community, sponsoring teams and the like.

The grand opening of T&T Pizzeria and Italian Deli will run from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 1. There will be free food and Pepsi and live music.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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