Pizza Central USA
About us
Our family has always had the motto “Family Comes First”. This has played out differently depending on our season of life. In 1995, The Duke family moved from Texas to Georgia, while the Bennett family remained rooted in Texas. Even with this distance in miles, our families stayed close in heart. Every Christmas and summer vacation became a family reunion we all looked forward to — especially after the cousins began arriving in 2000. There truly is nothing like the friendships that cousins have, and watching the kids grow up in different states made the miles between us feel a bit harder.
Each year, we (Tom Duke and Darren Bennett) would sit on the beach talking about the same dream: how we could bring our families closer together. We knew if we kept God first and continued to ask for direction, he would provide guidance.
One late spring afternoon, while driving home from work, Tom spotted a small roadside sign that simply read: “Business for Sale.” In his rearview mirror he noticed the only nearby business — a little pizza café called Pizza Central. Curious and never one to pass up a possible business opportunity, Tom went inside and tried the food.
It was good. Really good.
In the weeks that followed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be the answer to the family vacation conversations. That summer, while watching the cousins (eight of them at the time) play together in the sand, Tom shared a business idea with Darren. The discussions about purchasing the pizza café continued, and with encouragement from Brenda and Becky, the two families agreed to explore the possibility.
Neither family had ever run a restaurant, so we did our homework. We researched, asked questions, and even traveled to the National Pizza Convention in Las Vegas to learn everything we could!
In 2012, the Bennett family packed up their belongings, loaded up the U-Hauls, and made the move to Georgia. Our families were reunited and trusting God with a little pizza cafe.
From day one, we fell in love with working side by side, serving our community, and doing life together. We were living out “Family Comes First”. What started as a dream to bring cousins closer together turned into something far more beautiful — a shared business, a shared purpose, and a life built around family. Today, you can find whichever cousins happen to have a free evening (or are in visiting from out of town) all gathered around a table during Trivia Night enjoying great food and catching up on life. Pizza Central is more than a restaurant to us. It represents faith, risk, hard work, and the American dream. Our family now includes our employees to whom we owe our success and deep respect.
It also represents you — our loyal customers — who have supported us every step of the way. Thank you for being part of our story and part of our family.