Russell R. Silva
Staff Writer
While other pizza chains advertise their businesses with commercials, coupons and social media, Warehouse Pizza, located on D Street in downtown La Verne, brings in business with its customer service and food keeping customers coming back for more.
The pizzeria opened in 1972 and was originally owned and operated by a local family for more than 10 years.
Warehouse faced financial difficulty after the sudden death of the first owner, leaving the business to suffer the consequences.
Kenny Schonfeld purchased the business in 1986 in hopes of revamping it and rebuilding its clientele.
“It was a great opportunity to not pass up,” Schonfeld said.
He worried the business lacked a stable customer base. He was going to rename the business Pizza Madness in hopes that a new name would increase residents’ interest.
After doing some research, he discovered that the customer base was quite large.
Residents flocked in as soon as it was remodeled. Schonfeld said his customers are diverse in age – from high school and college students to retirees.
“My family loves Warehouse, this place is legendary, and I plan to keep coming here for years,” junior business major Andrew Miraflor said.
Schonfeld stopped all advertising for the restaurant 10 years ago. He said there was no need for it, since customers spread the word about the good pizza. His business has continued to prosper over the years.
“I had my baby shower here for my little boy a few years ago,” Claremont resident Kirstie Marquee said. “It was so nice because I took over the whole patio area. My family loved it.”
The company prides itself on three menu items: sandwiches, salads and pizza. From personal-sized rounds to an 18-inch pizza, customers enjoy fresh toppings with hot mozzarella cheese. One can even order bacon on their pizza.
Schonfeld said the antipasto salad is what many look forward to eating. It contains ham, turkey, salami, onions, mushrooms, olives and green bell peppers, served with ranch dressing.
Schonfeld stays focused on keeping the menu at its highest quality by keeping it simple and providing the best ingredients he can find.
“It would be nice to serve chicken or chicken wings, but our kitchen doesn’t have the capacity for it,” Schonfeld said. “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”
Plans for the future of the company include Schonfeld passing down the restaurant to his daughter Sasha Schonfeld. He would like to see continued growth because he likes to see the packed house they have from Friday through Sunday.
“When people tell me to advertise this place, I say, have you ever been here on a Friday night? It’s a packed house,” he said.
Russell R. Silva can be reached at russell.silva@laverne.edu.
