"Welcome to Sylvia's Pizzeria. Can I take your order?" Hannah Burks asked a customer. It was midafternoon on a recent Saturday and the place was busy -- although it's yet to celebrate its official grand opening.
"It was all kind of crazy," said John Smykla about their "online-orders-only" opening late last year.
The restaurant is owned by Smykla, who trained under the internationally known and world pizza champions Anthony DeSousa and Tony Gemignani before opening Sylvia's.
It seems right from the get-go the locals were hungry for Smykla's artisan pizzas even before the pizzeria offered sit-down service.
While the restaurant, 6715 Sheridan Road, has a Pine Bluff address, it hugs up to White Hall's border near the intersection of Jefferson Parkway and Sheridan Road.
The interior of Sylvia's Pizzeria is a mashup of modern and metal, and the large mural visual from the stairs leading to the second floor is a nod to the owner's parents, Peter and Sylvia Smykla. The restaurant is named for his late mother.
"It's a popular spot. We're happy to claim it," said Kevin Bonnett, White Hall Chamber of Commerce president.
Smykla also owns Woodlands Fine Wines & Spirits, two doors down from Sylvia's, and the shopping center where both businesses are located. White Hall Fresh Market sits in-between the liquor store and the restaurant.
David Stricklie, Sylvia's general manager, juggles the kitchen operation and the schedule that includes about 60 employees.
Definitely not a fast food version, instead, Stricklie said, "It's all our own recipes."
Smykla said, "We try to provide something [that] you can't get at home."
He carefully develops his own recipes and uses only high-quality herbs, meats, Grande cheese instead of mozzarella, and other ingredients -- and their in-store handmade dough is cold fermented.
"It's a slower process but produces a lighter texture, and the flavor is unique," Smykla said about the crust.
Unlike other chain pizza places, Sylvia's goes totally New York when it comes to the size of their pies and their slices. These include 14-, 16- and 20-inch pies cut into 8-inch slices.
"One slice is a meal," Rhonda Compton of Sheridan said before recommending lemon gelato for dessert.
John Hofheimer of Little Rock grabbed a pepperoni pizza to-go and said, "I wasn't disappointed. It was one of the best pizzas I've ever had."
He said he plans a second stop on his next trip to Southeast Arkansas.
In addition to New York style, sold by the slice or the pie, they offer Grandma's Pizza, a square 12-inch pie with cheese and sauce on top.
"The Grandma is smaller," Smykla said about the Sicilian-style pizza believed to have originated in the home kitchens in Long Island, N.Y.
Also listed on the menu are salads, breads, spaghetti and meatballs, and more.
Smykla's wife, Misti, also helped develop the recipes -- including the salads and in-house made dressings.
Isaiah Cooper said he eats at Sylvia's almost daily, and he and his friend Sebastian Swartz, both from White Hall, suggest newbies try the garlic knots from the appetizer section of the menu.
"My favorite," Swartz said.
They're both fans of Sylvia's fresh made and authentic cannolis.
Bonnett, also a fan, said the pizza is great and suggested an order of their wings.
The interior decor includes upstairs and downstairs dining. Bonnett describes the restaurant as having "great atmosphere."
Stricklie said, "No one had tasted anything like this before. Everyone loves it ... And people love that they have a spot like this."
John Smykla opened the Sylvias Pizzeria late last year, filling on-line, to-go orders only. Now, people drive from around the area to pick up or dine in. (Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)
Nichele Bush runs the register and oversees the to-go orders. (Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)