Though Cigarz received one of the Dallas Observer’s 2004 Best of Dallas Awards for its non-Italian style pizza, things didn’t start off so auspiciously. Sadie Ayers, who owns the take-out joint with her Lebanese husband of 20 years, Omar Dibe, says the couple started Cigarz as a “last resort.” They moved to Dallas after 23 years in San Antonio at the urging of a friend who wanted them to work for him. Nine months later, both were laid off. After looking for jobs for six months, they decided to go back to familiar territory (Omar had two restaurants in San Antonio) and opened Cigarz — named after their beloved dog — last March. So far, the surrounding neighborhood has embraced the couple’s cuisine, which offers much more than pizza. Also on the menu: kabobs, oven-baked subs, salads, calzones and Greek delights such as hummus, tabouli, dolmas and more. Now, says Ayers, they look back on the whole experience as one of the best things that ever happened to them. “We love Dallas, and we especially love the people in this area. We’ve been so welcomed into the neighborhood,” she says. They don’t deliver, she says, but that’s by design. Having people pick up their orders, Ayers says, “is the best way we can get to know our customers. We get the best support from them,” she says. “It’s just very rare.”
Cigarz Bona Pizza
7238 Gaston
214-319-0055
cigarzpizza.com
HOURS: Mon 5-9 p.m.; Tue-Wed 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sun noon-9:30 p.m.
$, Takeout only
