According to the New Brunswick Business Journal, “The corporate banking world is a long way from the kitchen of Pomodori, a Rothesay pizzeria. But co-owner Stephen Goddard says he’s just as happy kneading dough and spreading sauce as he was working on large corporate acquisitions in the investment banking sector.”

“‘Food and cooking were my passions long before banking,’ says the quick-talking entrepreneur. Opened in 2008, Pomodori is what Goddard calls a “fast-casual” eatery. The restaurant aims to mix the health benefits of homemade cooking with the speed of fast food. Pomodori’s main offerings are traditional Italian thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas. Everything is made in-house, from the dough to the sauce and it’s done quickly: available within five to 10 minutes of ordering.

“And last year, Pomodori’s pizza took eighth spot in the World Pizza Championship in Italy. ‘The best tasting pizza in the world is in Italy. But if you’re not going to get there anytime soon, you can get probably the second best-tasting pizza in the world by coming to Rothesay,’ Goddard says. ‘There is some outside validation to our claims. It’s not just us saying we make a great product.’ Now Goddard and his two business partners are trying to transform their single Rothesay location into a North American franchise – with a goal of opening 1,000 locations.”