The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Time Out Pizza owner Phillip Sor- tomme listened when his customers spoke, and now he's in the process of getting a beer and wine serving per- mit to prove it.

The Dayton City Council approved the request for a permit at the last council meeting on Sept. 10 but Sor- tomme said there is still a lot to do.

"(Getting the license) is something we have been considering since before we opened," Sortomme said.

He said he wanted to get a feel for the community and his customers before getting the license for his Main Street business and he has received several requests since the restaurant opened to serve beer and wine.

Sortomme said he wants to keep the atmosphere fami- ly-friendly so he doesn't plan to change any of his market- ing except possibly announc- ing the arrival of alcohol when the permit is finalized.

"We don't want (alco- hol) to be the main appeal," Sortomme said. "It's just a bonus, not a major money maker."

Sortomme said he is con- stantly trying to make the restaurant more like home for pizza patrons.

Recent changes outside the restaurant have been helping bring business in, Sortomme said. Mainly, a new sign just off of Main Street has helped bring in people passing through, he said.

Sortomme said local teams and coaches have also been supportive of his busi- ness, which he said he has been really appreciative of.

"It's been nice to have community support," Sor- tomme said.

Sortomme said he has heard very few negative comments and any negative comments about an order are remedied as fast as Sor- tomme can fix them.

Currently, Time Out Pizza has a variety of specialty pizzas, including cheeseburger, chicken alfredo and the works. Sortomme said they also serve burgers, fries, chicken, fish and wings. Sortomme said he thinks his menu will go well with some basic beers and wines and he hopes they work well together.

Once the license goes through, Sortomme said they will have wine by the glass and beer by the bottle, although it will be far from the selection at a bar.

There will be three or four varieties of beer, Sortomme said. And the wine selection will have two options, red or white.

"Next summer we might do beer on tap," Sortomme said.

For now, he plans to stick with traditional pizza beers, although he hasn't decided which ones yet.

Mayor Craig George said most restaurants in the area have a license to distribute alcohol. George said it is just another service they can offer to the community. The li- cense gives people an oppor- tunity to have a glass of wine or a beer instead of soda.

"I think everyone is posi- tive about Time Out Pizza," George said. "So this should help their business."

Sortomme also said in the future Time Out Pizza might become affiliated with more local breweries and wineries, but not yet. That would be a whole new stack of paper- work, he said.

Sortomme started work- ing at a Time Out Pizza in Ephrata that at the time was owned by his now father-in- law.

Time Out Pizza opened on Oct. 27 last year and resides at 134 Main Street in Dayton.