By Jasmine Haroun
Babe’s Pizza has been a staple of the Brandon community for more than 40 years and was established in the community in 1978. Until recently, the landmark pizza joint has been owned and operated by Pat and Rich Paddock.
Now, the two are happily retiring and have left their prized pizza shop to the new owners: Sofia and Craig Patel.
Throughout the years, the Paddocks have created a family-friendly environment by connecting and making long-lasting relationships with their customers and employees. Running Babe’s Pizza over the years has brought them many loyal customers and friends.
So, it may be a relief to those loyal customers that the Patels plan to keep most of everything the same, other than a few upgrades. For sure, its famous double-decker pizza, as well as their name, will all remain the same.
Before buying Babe’s Pizza, the Patels accomplished quite a lot. Sofia used to be a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) while Craig worked at Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. After that, he took over seven Dunkin’ Donuts locations. He later sold those and bought Babe’s Pizza, which he now runs with his wife.
Craig bought Babe’s Pizza because he saw it as a place that could flourish.
“I want to help Babe’s Pizza grow,” he said.
As the new owners, the Patels want only the best for their new restaurant.
Babe’s Pizza is located at 107 N. Kings Ave. in Brandon and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m. and Sunday from 5-9:30 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. For more information on the menu, visit places.singleplatform.com or call 689-2282.