What began as a family hobby turned into a full-time venture seven years ago for Aroma Artisan Pizza owner Carol Elliott – and an expansion to a second location at the Kingston Yard development is now on the horizon.
As a longtime tenant at the NewBo City Market, the expansion clearly represents a key moment in the history of Ms. Elliott’s business. But after initial moments of trepidation, she said she’s now full speed ahead with her growth plans.
“It’s hard to envision your world when it’s just on paper,” Ms. Elliott said. “Now it’s becoming real.”
Ms. Elliott began her pizza business journey in 2017, after a long career as a program manager and project manager at ACT ended with a layoff.
As longtime pizza aficionados, Ms. Elliott and her family had built a wood-fired pizza oven in their backyard years ago, frequently hosting pizza parties for friends and neighbors, experimenting with various ingredients and preparation methods.
With one career ending, Ms. Elliott began exploring a new professional opportunity built around her passion. Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza was planning to leave NewBo Market for a new location in University Heights, so the pizza space at the market was becoming available.
“I decided it was time to do something where I didn’t need three vice presidents to implement projects,” she said. “And at that very same time, coming out of corporate America, we were thinking about – what do we love? What do we know, and what do we enjoy? Maggie’s Farm was opening their new spot in Iowa City, and I wondered if they would be selling their (NewBo spot). So we looked into it, and we bought it.”
Ms. Elliott trained with the owners of Maggie’s Farm to learn the basics, and opened Aroma Artisan Pizza at NewBo in August 2017.
“We turned our hobby into a business,” she said. “I’m thrilled to say we still see it as a hobby. And that’s what’s fun. When it becomes work, it’s not as much fun. But we’ve just enjoyed it.”
Aroma Artisan Pizza opened as a family affair, with Ms. Elliott’s husband Craig and their sons Chris and Ben lending a hand.
New ventures were added quickly. In 2018, the Elliiotts purchased a pizza oven trailer and started serving on-site at local events. They added catering services the following year, and now serve at weddings, corporate events and community festivals.
After surviving a dramatic business downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic, the business expanded at NewBo with Luna Gelato and Ice Cream.
The store’s first gelato offerings were sourced from a Chicago supplier, but gelato is now prepared on-site. The ice cream comes from local suppliers, such as Dan & Debbie’s of Ely, and an early experiment with freeze-drying has now become an extensive selection of freeze-dried candies and fruits. A recent experiment even produced freeze-dried pickles.
Ms. Elliott said she sources her ingredients locally as often as possible, from meats, eggs and cheese to tomatoes, basil and other pizza toppings.
The decision to expand Aroma Artisan to the Kingston Yard development at 1st and 1st West was made shortly after that project was announced, Ms. Elliott said.
“I made my first call as soon as I heard about it,” she said. “I so wanted to be a part of that. It perfectly fits our model of a place where people like to gather, with all sorts of fun and visitors. Every time you go there, you see this awesome energy and excitement.”
Aroma Artisan’s second location will be at 151 First Ave. SW, Suite 100, adjacent to the Pickle Palace.
The new location will seat about 25 in a space of 2,200 square feet, with entrances on both First Avenue and onto an outdoor patio facing the recently-opened Yard and ImOn Stage.
In addition to a wood-fired pizza oven, the new location will include a deck oven to prepare New York-style pizzas, including pizza by the slice. The deck oven will allow pizza preparation in different sizes and with different crust options. Ms. Elliott said she’s also experimenting with different flavors to use at the new location.
“It’s just a different (venture) for us,” Ms. Elliott said of the new pizza oven and New York-style option. “It allows us to try new things. To walk into that kind of a restaurant and see the pizza slice box and pick out your own slice – it’s just fun. It’s a different culture.”
The new venture, which could open as early as September, will be open daily, as early as 11 a.m., with possible adjustment of night hours to accommodate special events.
Concrete flooring has been poured at the new location, and interior framing is now under way, Ms. Elliott said.
The vibe will be very casual and comfortable, with a “minimalist, open-ceiling look.”
Decor will feature a six-foot stainless steel pizza slice purchased at an auction, with holes that could accommodate backlighting. Ms. Elliott’s daughter-in-law is also creating a mural for one wall of the restaurant.
“And then, of course, in my world there’s always a wall with wood stacked around it,” she added, alluding to the restaurant’s wood-fired legacy.
Two of Ms. Elliott’s previous managers are returning to help open the new location, she said.
The new site will also have a beer and wine license – one of Mr. Elliott’s primary pursuits since he left his law practice in January to focus on the Aroma Artisan business.
“Law isn’t really fun,” Ms. Elliott said. “Pizzas are fun. And in terms of product management, you get to see that your product is effective immediately. You know within moments if you’ve done something good.”
Both tap and canned beers will be available, and several local brews will be featured, Ms. Elliott said. Conversations have already begun with Lion Bridge Brewing, and others will likely be available as well.
“There are a few that aren’t represented as much,” she said, “and that’s part of what makes Cedar Rapids special.”
As with all of Ms. Elliott’s ventures to date, she said the new location will likely include some trial-and-error experiments.
“ACT made me a person who’s big on process improvement and professional development,” she said. “And that’s the fun – I get to keep learning about new things. It’s the same thing moving into the new place. It’s using all the skills I’ve developed all along the way and seeing where we can go with it.”
As with any business expansion, Ms. Elliott admitted she’s somewhat apprehensive about her latest venture.
“I’m nervous and excited,” she said, “although it was more nerve-wracking for me at the beginning, the planning and commitment and conceptualizing of it. Now that we’re going to do it and it’s all signed, we just go. That was one of my favorite things at ACT, and it continues to be one of my favorite things – to help things to grow.”
But as one of the NewBo Market’s longest continually-operating tenants, Ms. Elliott stressed that she has no plans to close the original NewBo location once the second site opens.
“We started here, we volunteered here, we helped build the raised garden beds,” she said. “I think it’s just the coolest place. I get so much energy from all these entrepreneurs with all their ideas, and how people nurture and grow their dreams.”
