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By SCOTT MIMS / Staff Writer 

COLUMBIANA — Vic’s Pizza just opened at the former Subway location in Columbiana, but many were already familiar with the name—because the restaurant’s owner, Victor B. Turner, operated a restaurant under the same name in Montevallo from 1995 until the mid-2000s.

The new Vic’s opened Wednesday, July 14 at 305 W. College St., offering hand-tossed pizza with dough made fresh in-house.

“Overwhelmingly good response,” Turner said when asked how his first day went. “I expected a good day, but it was a lot better than I expected.”

In addition to basic pizzas, the menu at Vic’s features specialty pies such as supreme and meat lovers, as well as sub sandwiches and cheese sticks. He said he plans to offer a pizza buffet and Dippin’ Dots as a sweet treat in the very near future.

For old customers of the Montevallo location, Turner hinted they can expect a pizza similar to what was served back then. He has tweaked the crust, but for the most part everything is the same.

“It seemed to work very well,” he said of his recipe.

Turner worked at his first pizza restaurant in high school, at a place called Pizza2U. Prior to owning Vic’s, he worked for the previous owner for about eight years. While he still loves Montevallo, Turner said he equally loves the environment of Columbiana.

“I’m trying to get back into my own business, so I was looking for opportunities and good locations,” he explained, adding that the new location with its high visibility is thus far “a pretty good fit.”

Currently Turner is working with two previous employees and two of his daughters, McChesney and Tori. And just as his own kids are helping him run the business, it’s kids—and people in general—who are at the heart of his passion for pizza pies.

“My favorite thing is kids; the pizza comes out and they start dancing,” he said. “And it typically makes older people happy, too.”

Vic’s Pizza is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday hours are to be determined. For updates, see Vic’s Pizza on Facebook.