Pizza Gallery & Grill
SpaceCoast Living sat down with Chris Conneen, founder and CEO of Pizza Gallery & Grill, and when asked if he would like to perhaps talk about their delicious food, friendly service, recent renovations or even what Edible Art Catering (their sister company) can do for the holidays, he simply replied,
“I’d love to talk about our community.”
Com•mu•ni•ty noun
A social, occupational, spiritual or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.
Conneen believes community is just another word for family, only a larger number of people. When he refers to community, he is really talking about his PGG family first and then the surrounding neighborhoods, businesses and people. “The definition above describes us perfectly: ‘A social, occupational and spiritual group sharing common characteristics and interests.’ We share the common bond of hospitality and wanting to make our community a little better each day.”
Pizza Gallery & Grill’s mission statement, or as they call it, “purpose statement” states: “We Enrich Our Community and Provide Incredible Dining Experiences.” There are two parts to this mission statement. The second half of this statement is a common goal he believes all restaurants strive to achieve and we can tell you firsthand, we’ve had many “Incredible Dining Experiences” at PGG. Looking at the first half of this mission and a definition of community is where Pizza Gallery & Grill perceives itself as distinct in many respects from the larger society within which it has existed, serving Brevard County for more than 27 years.
If you have lived in Brevard for any amount of time, you are sure to have seen PGG’s logo or team supporting an organization in need: From their weekly “Pizza With A Purpose” nights where they give proceeds to local charities or individuals every Tuesday, to a monthly PGG Outreach where you can find their team supporting a Habitat for Humanity build, cleaning up a beach or riverfront park, doing yardwork and maintenance at a women’s shelter, or even painting an elementary school’s motto on their wall to support their educational culture. While each of these events and so many more support our Brevard County community, Conneen believes it has an even greater effect on the culture and individual team members at Pizza Gallery
& Grill. Not your typical pizza place!
Conneen says most restaurants train employees how to serve customers; Pizza Gallery & Grill teaches their team members how to enrich our community, starting with each other. “Just like a family, we want to care for and support each other first,” says Conneen. When a team member feels accepted, supported and successful, the guest’s experience will most likely be an incredible one. In support of this, PGG goes the extra mile for their team members every opportunity they get with bonus money put on their individual CIA (Culture In Action) cards, 100 percent scholarships provided for Financial Peace classes, recognition of team members at their annual July 4th family picnic, setting up and supporting GoFundMe accounts, and so much more.
Conneen also knows this is much easier said than done. “Just like a family unit, we make mistakes and we are not a drama-free zone by any means. We just learn how to hold each other accountable in a positive and supportive way, just like a mom and dad or brother and sister would.”
One great example of this community enriching effort is the Inaugural Christmas Fit-Mas 3K Run/Walk in Viera on Sunday, December 11th this year. Pizza Gallery & Grill is collaborating with Health First, The Viera Company and many more local businesses to hold this one of a kind community event. All of the proceeds from this event will go to Viera’s Youth Athletic Clubs:
Viera Suntree Little League, Space Coast United Soccer and Suntree/Viera Youth Football League, and Hospitality Life (another 501c non-profit organization).
You can register at Runningzone.com/events/christmas-fit-mas-3k/. Let’s celebrate Christmas and fitness together as a community!
Address:
2250 Town Center Ave
Viera, FL 32940
Phone:
(321) 633-0397
Web Address:
PizzaGalleryandGrill.com
Hours:
Mon-Wed: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Sun: 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
