September 30, 1976, is a date in DeGraff and pizza history, as Ron’s Pizza celebrates a half-century in business.
Ron and Nancy Hall had the vision to open a pizza shop in DeGraff at a time when pizza places were not nearly as common as they are today. Ron and Nancy did their homework and partnered with Piqua Pizza to supply their products. Ron built a small shack and installed a stone oven, along with a single-line telephone.
Piqua Pizza told them they would probably sell 50 pizzas a week. On opening night, Ron and Nancy sold out and needed a special delivery so they could open the next day. The legend of Ron’s Pizza was born.
The first location was off State Route 235, right about where the laundromat and old car wash sit today in DeGraff. In 1978, Ron and Nancy purchased the land across the road and moved the shop. In typical small-town fashion, they shut down the road, and people came to help, including several football players from Riverside High School.
That’s where the shop remained until it closed just a few years ago.
Even as the business grew and they hired more employees, Ron and Nancy remained involved. Every Saturday night, you could count on Ron and Nancy to be there making your pizza. They stayed in the shop until the mid-to-late 1990s. As they got older and Ron began experiencing some health problems, they decided it was time to develop a succession plan.
Their oldest daughter, Lori, was tired of working in a factory and had grown up working in the family business. In June 1999, Lori officially took over Ron’s Pizza from her parents.
Lori continued the tradition in DeGraff but decided to expand the brand, bringing Ron’s Pizza to Bellefontaine in 2002. The original Bellefontaine location was at 245 South Main Street, on the corner of Main and Auburn, in the building that had previously housed the Chicken Ranch.
They remained there for nine years before deciding to look for a permanent building. Lori drove up and down 68, or Main Street, in Bellefontaine for several days looking for a place. Finally, they placed an offer on 712 South Main Street, an old bank building next to Wendy’s that had been closed.
Lori recalls that the offer they made was too low and was initially rejected by the realtor. Then something happened: They received a call informing them that their offer had been accepted. After months of renovation, Ron’s Pizza moved to its current location in early 2010.
In addition to owning the property, the new location was better suited for dine-in customers. Over the years, they added TVs and beer to the menu to create a more enjoyable dining experience.
Owning and operating two locations was becoming too much for Lori and her family, so they decided to sell the DeGraff location. It changed hands a few times after Lori sold it and eventually closed for good in 2024.
In 2015, Lori decided it was time to step away after 16 years as the owner and sold the business to Craig Faniff. Craig and Lori had known each other from working together at Belletech. Craig frequently came into the business, and one day he joked about possibly buying the shop. Lori responded, “Make me an offer,” and that’s how the sale got started.
Craig took over on December 1 of that year.
In 2022, a similar situation arose when Craig spoke with LaTrell Clark, another former co-worker from Belletech. LaTrell bought Ron’s Pizza that year and continues as the owner today.
Through 50 years and four different owners, one person remained with the business. Nancy Hall continued to make pizzas, working an occasional shift from time to time. She really enjoyed making pizzas and staying busy.
After five decades of flinging pepperoni, Nancy has decided to hang up her apron. Fittingly, her last official day in the kitchen was September 30, 2026.
50 years later, Ron’s Pizza continues serving up pizza, subs, salads, and more. The owners have changed, but the local connection remains the same.
