By Charlie Pogacar
When Dan and Erika Rommel moved to the Orlando area in 2019, pizza wasn’t part of the plan. Erika had a thriving 25-year career as a marketer with a major soda company, and Dan was working in biotech. But two things sent the couple on a different course, one that ultimately led them to opening Grand Central Pizza Station in Ocoee, Florida.
First, Dan had trouble landing a job in an area devoid of biotech companies. Perhaps more pivotally, the couple also missed bona fide New York-style pizza. Rather than settle for pizza that did not meet their standards, they started experimenting. Sunday afternoons turned into pizza-making contests with friends and family. “We’d each stretch our dough differently and see whose crust came out best,” Dan told PMQ Pizza.
Those early experiments planted the seeds for what would become Grand Central Pizza Station, a neighborhood pizzeria serving three distinct styles: New York, Detroit and Sicilian. Almost a year after opening, the shop employs 13 team members and remains open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
Related: Nino Coniglio’s Latest Shop Features Oldest Coal-Fired Pizza Oven in the U.S.
Engineered For Success
Dan’s background as an engineer and veteran, combined with Erika’s expertise in sales and marketing, shaped the way they built the business. “With both of us being in the corporate environment for so many years, I think we’re both very process driven,” Erika Rommel said. “So because of that, we are probably taking a very different approach to how we do things versus what you would normally see in this industry.”
The engineer-like precision is especially important when running three distinct pizza programs out of the same oven. The shop’s Detroit and Sicilian pizzas require par-baking, specific proofing times and careful dough folding. All three crust styles use the same dough, each portioned and handled differently. Even gluten-free customers get a seat at the table—Grand Central offers a 10” gluten-free pizza as well as a gluten-free Detroit-style pie, something Dan said is unique in Central Florida.
Erika Rommel’s marketing mind shines in the shop’s design and branding. When they set out to open a shop, the Rommels wanted something more than a pizza restaurant. They envisioned a pizzeria like the ones they grew up around in New York State (Dan on Long Island and Erika in the Hudson Valley), where it’s as much a community hub as it is a restaurant. Creating that atmosphere began with the decor, which includes a logo that doubles as a working clock, features LED lighting and was inspired by the iconic timepiece in Grand Central Terminal.
The shop blends New York grit and nostalgia with playful, Instagram-ready touches. A 59′ wall features a Brooklyn Bridge mural and a cityscape mural. Bathrooms are themed—one with vintage mobster mugshots, the other with a 1920s feminine vibe. There’s even a pizza-wing mural (complete with rhinestone crown) for customer selfies, painted by local high school students the Rommels commissioned before opening.
A Reciprocal Culture
Maybe it’s because they are industry outsiders, but the Rommels do things a bit differently when it comes to hiring and retaining team members. For example, they don’t accept the idea that “no-call/no-show” behavior is acceptable, and each team member is trained up on the standards and expectations they’ll be held to. But, in return, the Rommels find ways to celebrate their team members at every possible opportunity. Staff can win prizes like theme park tickets. They receive surprise Amazon gift cards for doing things right and attend “Grandy Awards” recognition events. The result: extremely low turnover.
“We still have so many of the people who started with us on day one,” Erika said, adding that they have always encouraged staff input on things that are working—or not.
Dan and Erika have both been amazed by the quality of young employees they’ve brought into their restaurant. Dan cited a night when things hadn’t gone to plan, and he stepped out behind the restaurant to take a moment to gather himself. A team member came outside to throw something in the trash and noticed Dan.
“And he said, ‘Are you alright?’” Dan recalled. “And I said, ‘Yeah, sorry, just been one of those days.’ And he said, ‘Tomorrow’s another day, dude.’ And he was totally right! And I think that’s just an example of how your younger employees will really amaze you if you give them the chance to.”
The Rommels have also spent time pouring resources into training. Of the 13 people they employ, three are certified pizzaiolos, having taken courses with Will Grant at the Pacific Northwest School of Pizza. This exemplifies the win-win nature of Grand Central’s culture: the team members acquire a new skillset while the shop’s pizza gets that much better.
Marketing With Reach
From day one, Erika’s marketing background has been central to Grand Central’s growth. The shop’s grand opening included a “Free Pizza for a Year” card giveaway to the first 100 customers, which built buzz and loyalty. The shop has gone on to host food influencers whose posts have generated hundreds of thousands of views, including for their Hell’s Kitchen Heat Detroit pie topped with a house-made chunky sauce.
But the Rommels also know when to go old-school. Earlier this year, they realized many people shopping at their own plaza’s Publix didn’t know the pizzeria existed. They designed an EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) postcard with the headline, “You drive past us every day—it’s time to stop in,” sent to 10,000 households within a three-mile radius. “We get three to five redemptions a day from those mailers,” Dan estimated.
They’re already planning their first-anniversary promotion: the “Grand Token” giveaway, where randomly selected pizza boxes will contain prizes from gift cards to the ultimate prize: a “Free Pizza for a Year” card.
One of the simplest and most popular promotions Grand Central Pizza Station has offered from day one? Veterans and first responders get 10% off their orders.
Expansion? A Math Equation
Grand Central Pizza Station’s buildout wasn’t cheap—just over $500,000, according to the Rommels, roughly 10% of which included five months’ rent from the time they signed the lease to opening day. The hood system alone cost around $30,000, with nearly as much again in installation. Dan says one lesson learned is to prioritize second-generation restaurant spaces in future expansion—the current shop was a coffee shop prior to becoming Grand Central Pizza Station. “The hood is the biggest hurdle,” he said. “If that’s already in place, you’re ahead of the game.”
They chose a two-deck oven that can expand to three decks as volume grows, and even had the electrical pre-wired for that future upgrade. “We’ve been planning for growth from the start,” Dan said.
In five years, the Rommels would like to have three to five locations in Central Florida. But whether they grow quickly or steadily, they’re committed to maintaining their culture, quality and a connection to the local community. “We know we have a great product,” Erika says. “But the relationships are just as important.”
