There really is a lady named Molly. When I met Molly, it became apparent that she likes people and seemed to enjoy the restaurant business. Molly grew up in the Lacon area and she didn’t have a lifelong goal of being in the restaurant business. She said that she didn’t work in the food business until 2009 when she became a server to help pay the bills. She’s raised three girls and she has 2.5 grandchildren so far (one is on the way). Different from what you usually experience at most restaurants, where management and staff are just getting the job done, Molly seemed to enjoy the situation at hand. Of course, with Molly’s personality and good service, she makes friends with her customers and one of these friends approached her about opening a pizzeria in Chillicothe. Today, that friend is now one of her partners.

   

I’m sure it took some prodding, but soon a partnership was formed, and Molly’s Pizzeria was born in the summer of 2021 with the help of two partners, Terry Ruhland and Jeff Admire. With Terry and Jeff’s business ability, and Molly’s personality and restaurant experience, this business arrangement was loaded for success from the start.

   

A year later and the restaurant has expanded now to include gourmet ice cream. In the future there might be a beer garden for some outdoor dining as well. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll find a Molly’s Pizzeria in other towns, too.

   

Molly’s idea of having a family type of restaurant with no jukebox or slot machine has worked. Although there is a friendly bar for the locals, there’s no hard liquor—just beer and wine. Molly loves kids and it’s not unusual for her to give them some pizza dough to play with as they wait for their food. There’s an open and airy feeling to the place because there’s garage doors on two sides. Molly said she likes the open and laid-back feeling that this restaurant has.

   

The secret to their good food is how it’s prepared. At Molly’s, all the vegetables are fresh, and hand chopped—not out of a can. And the pizza crust is unbelievable. It’s hand tossed and prepared with love. There’s a whole range of different toppings for the pizzas or calzones to fit your dining desires. The hot sandwiches are great, too. The gourmet salads are better than those yuppy places up the hill in Peoria, and Molly’s salads are large enough to fill you up. If you want good handmade food, you must realize that everything is going to take a little longer. Nothing is pre-cooked so it takes a little longer to prepare the delicious food. Unlike the norm today, this is a regular restaurant, so you don’t have to go up to a counter to get your food, and there’s no plastic—real silverware is used. The friendly servers deliver the food to the tables with a smile like the old days.

   

Go figure, old fashion food with hand chopped vegetables, handmade crust, and old fashion service; these folks are geniuses. Stop in and say Hi to Molly at the pizzeria; you’ll like her personality and love her food.