Creekside Pizzeria owners invest in improvements

Published 5:00 pm Sunday, October 31, 2010

To better reflect its new menu, Seaside’s Creekside Pizzeria will soon be known as Creekside Smoked Barbecue and Chicken Bill’s.

“I guess you could say we’re reinventing ourselves in a way,” said Bill Ayotte who, with his wife Teresa, owns the restaurant, located along U.S. Highway 101 and the Neawanna Creek Estuary.

“I was looking to diversify the menu,” said Ayotte. “Pizza isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be. And the price point has gone down with places like Papa Murphy’s. It’s hard to get people in Astoria to think to drive to Seaside for dinner.”

So, he asked himself, “‘What can you get people to drive for?’ Barbecue seems to be it. So far, it’s working.”

The restaurant began serving barbecue on Sept. 15. Prior to that, the Ayottes invested in a $12,000 smoker and a $6,000 cook-and-hold oven, which is plumbed to keep smoked items hot without drying out, said Ayotte.

The resulting, expanded menu includes beef brisket, baby back ribs, port spare ribs and pulled pork among other items.

As for menu standards, expect to continue to see broasted chicken “it’s one of our signature items,” said Ayotte and pizza at least for now. He said he might phase out or begin limiting pizza offerings, but added, “It’s good pizza.”

The menu expansion has been good business, Ayotte said, allowing him to add two new employees and retain two employees.

For more information, call (503) 738-7763.