HOLLAND — A year ago, Crust 54's location on Washington Avenue was rescued from potential closure by longtime pizza-maker Adam Harris.
Now, Harris is celebrating his first anniversary of owning the shop.
Harris, a Fennville native, worked in the kitchen of Crust 54's flagship location in downtown Holland "for about three and a half years," he told The Sentinel.
While working at Crust 54, Harris was earning his bachelor's degree in business administration. When business owner Matt Klaus said he was considering shutting down the South Washington location, Harris offered to take over.
“He gave it some thought and then we decided to run with it," Harris said. "It took maybe six months to a year to finalize everything."
It's been a year, but Harris is "still processing."
“Sometimes I think about work and I forget that I'm even the owner," he said.
“Everything is on me. I have to make sure we're staffed well, and all the bills are paid — when you're just an hourly worker, you don't really think about it.”
The changes, Harris said, don’t stop at work. Sometimes, when he tries to sleep at night, all he can think about is “what the restaurant needs to be doing.”
“Sometimes,” Harris said, “I miss getting to go home and stop thinking about work. That's not a thing anymore.”
Harris is still serving the same menu and recipes as the previous owners — with one minor change.
“We cut our thin crust into triangles instead of squares now, because it's a personal thing,” Harris said. "It tastes better [to me] when it's a triangle.”
Harris, who dropped out of college when his mother died, wants teens to know they "should put their nose down, work hard, and keep at it.” Harris found his way back to school, attending Grand Rapids Community College and transferring to Davenport to finish his degree.
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“It works out, no matter what happens," he said. "Just keep on pushing, and as long as you keep pushing, something will eventually work out.”
Crust 54 at 1145 Washington Ave. is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and 4-8 p.m. Saturdays.
— Contact intern Abigail Shanley at abigailwshanley@hotmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Meet the man who saved Crust 54 on South Washington from possible closure