Ally’s Pizza Moves From Sunset to Clearfield After 34 Years

 Ally’s Pizza has a new home and new owners. After 34 years in Sunset, the takeout/delivery building at 258 W. 1800 North is being demolished for a construction project to widen 1800 North.

  But, Ally’s fans won’t have to go too far away. The Sunset location closed on Jan. 31, 2024, and re-opened Feb. 8 at 1296 W. 300 North in Clearfield. This is the former site of Rita’s Pizzeria, which closed last year.

   Ally’s new owners, Wesley and Lydia Steel, have been running Ally’s for the past year. Wesley is the nephew of Alex Ermatinger, who founded Ally’s Pizza in 1990, naming it for his newborn niece, Allison.

   “We are lucky to take over such a successful operation,” said Wesley Steel when I interviewed them for a Standard-Examiner article. “There would be a lot of anxiety if we were trying to open a new pizzeria. The barrier for opening any restaurant is quite high.”

  When the UDOT construction project was imminent, Alex asked the Steels if they wanted to take over the business.

  “He told us, it’s you guys or it’s done,” said Lydia Steel.

  “I knew I couldn’t start over again,” said Ermatinger, now 60 years old. He told me that after spending so much of his life at Ally’s Pizza, he’s now spending time traveling.

Meanwhile, the pizzeria moved on to the next generation. Wesley had worked at Ally’s since 2016, and Lydia was the general manager of the Pizza Pie Café in Clinton.

  Besides their experience in the pizza industry, they had sentimental reasons to keep Ally’s going. It had been a big part of Wesley’s family. His mother and father met each while working there. When his mother first started a cake business, she used Ally’s kitchen after-hours to bake her cakes. Wesley has memories of being there as a child, then working there during high school and college.

   “Keeping it in the family was always important, but UDOT bought him out, and we needed to find a new spot,” said Wesley.

   The Steeles bought the former Rita’s property, which has room for in-house dining, something the old Ally’s building was lacking. They did some remodeling and refurbishing while still running the old location, so Ally’s was only closed for a week before re-opening in the new digs.

  The new location does twice as much business already, the Steels said. They credit the new pizza oven’s larger capacity, and the new location’s dine-in space where customers can sit at the tables and enjoy their pizza. The walls are decorated with retro movie posters, such as The Sandlot, Star Wars, and The Goonies.

Coincidentally, Ally’s isn’t the only Sunset pizzeria to recently relocate to Clearfield. Last year, Circle Inn Pizza, which had been in Sunset since 1957, re-opened in Clearfield after a fire devastated its building in 2022. 

Since the Steels took over Ally’s, they’ve added more wing flavors and desserts.

And Lydia made it her “passion project” to make the salads “more pretty.” Her version is made with mixed spring greens, spinach, tomatoes, olives and mushrooms, topped with shredded mozzarella and croutons.

“I could eat our salads every day,” she said.

  But they kept the same pizza recipes.

“We believe in the product,” said Lydia Steel. “Al knew what he was doing when he started it. He has an incredible dough and sauce recipes, and he’s always shredded his own cheese.”

  The Steels are sourcing tomatoes from a California cannery that cans its tomatoes within two hours of picking. Lydia Steel said it gives a fresher flavor to the pizza sauces, and especially the dipping marinara. They blend their tomatoes into sauce daily, she said.

  Wesley Steel’s favorite is the Big Island BBQ pizza — Canadian bacon, breakfast bacon, pineapple, and extra cheese.

  He’s also a fan of the restaurant’s spicy marinara. It’s the classic sauce recipe, with three other ingredients that add some heat.

  Lydia Steel’s favorite pizza is Canadian bacon and pineapple, on a thin crust.   

  The pizzeria does its own delivery, with free delivery in the Sunset/Clearfield/Syracuse area, and some parts of Layton and Weber County.

   When customers call the restaurant, they will likely get a recording advising them to place their order online at Ally’s-pizza.com.

     “The most reliable way to reach us is NOT by phone,” said Lydia Steel. “We are trying to encourage people to order online.”

  ALLY’S PIZZA: 1296 W. 300 North in Clearfield

  CONTACT: https://www.allys-pizza.com and 801) 774-0077

  PRICES: $10-25, depending on the pizza size and toppings; Classic family special, $19.

  HOURS:  : Monday-Thursday Noon-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m, Closed Sunday.