They do things a little differently at Red Star Pizza, and it appears to be working.
Michael Supino and his wife Shannon Cross own Red Star Pizza, which occupies the old Pizza Time building on 35th Ave. just S. of Webster Street in West Seattle.

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Supino has worked in pizza restaurants for 15 years, at one point or another spending time in all of the major chains. He said during that time he got to see what they did wrong and what he could improve on.
He also worked two years at Boeing as an aviation technician. Just after he got his degree in aviation was when he decided to pursue his passion and start a pizza restaurant. He said his work at Boeing was just a job and he did not get to see his family enough. Now he works doing something he loves that his family is involved in.

They describe it as very much being a mom and pop business. Supino and Cross have four employees, not counting their 7 year old daughter who likes to come in and help fold boxes. Cross said they got her her own little uniform to wear, and she is eager to begin answering the phones and start manning the cash register, but that will not be happening just quite yet.

Working 70 hours a week, Supino and Cross said they have only had two days off since they opened in July, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Supino worked at the location while it was still a Pizza Time, jumping on the opportunity to open a restaurant there when his former boss told him he was selling. He said they sell twice as many, and sometimes three times as many pizzas a day more than the Pizza Time. They average 65-100 a day, and over 200 on the weekend.

The two things he emphasizes most about his restaurant are the quality of the ingredients they use, and customer service/building a relationship with the community.
Their pizza dough is made fresh daily. Any dough over two days old is tossed out. They make their own sauce, grate their own cheese, roast their own garlic-anything they can make themselves they do. Red Star Pizza’s are free of preservatives. His wife shops locally for the ingredients. Supino said in the end they make a less expensive pizza than using frozen dough, cheese and pre-made sauce.

Supino said anything in a can is going to be way to salty, as salt is used as a preservative. The salt taste is masked by adding sugar.
He and his wife both grew up in West Seattle. Supino said they make a point of giving back, donating money to habitat to humanity and recently to the local schools.

They plan to put in some seating and to begin offering beer as soon as their liquor license comes through.
Many students in West Seattle schools may be eating Red Star Pizza, as Red Star sells their pizza for lunch to many local schools.
Dog treats lie just beneath the cash register, waiting for someone out with their dog to walk by. The destination is almost as popular with canines as it is with humans. Cross said they have a dog who comes in regularly, gets his treat and walks back out to his owner.
They proudly provide pizzas to many local school and church functions, selling them, in situations like that, for the cost of the ingredients.

Their success, Supino said, lies with the community. He said that without the support of the local people and businesses they would not be able to make it.

In May 2009 Supino and Cross opened up the first Red Star Pizza in Lakewood. They said the neighborhood was completely different and just not what they were looking for. So when they heard about the location in West Seattle they jumped on it.
The restaurant in Lakewood is still open with different owners, called Pizza Pizzaz. However the sign still says Red Star Pizza.