Eyes Covered, He Can Still Make Pizza For Coronavirus Relief

GRAYSON, GA — Ian Bruce of Johnny’s New York Style Pizza in Grayson has made so many pizzas for those needing food during the coronavirus pandemic that he can do it blindfolded — with his mask over his eyes.

“He made one start to finish on a dare,” his wife Lindsey said with a laugh. “He put it into the oven, he took it out of the oven. It was perfect.”

Bruce is good at it because he’s knocked out hundreds of cheese pizzas in the last week or so to help the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, a coalition of 36 area churches serving Grayson, Snellville and part of Loganville. He estimates he’s made about 150 pizzas every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to support the ministry’s food pantry.

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When coronavirus relief efforts started, the ministry didn’t have enough food on hand, so ministry president Laura Drake contacted Bruce at the behest of Lindsey’s mother, Tammy Petty of Grayson. Once food donations caught up with demands, though, Johnny’s continued to supply pizzas as a welcome treat for pantry customers. Along with food you get a 16-inch cheese pizza. Have four or more people in your car? You get two.

“They’re always so excited,” Lindsey Bruce said. “There are always kids in the back seat yelling Pizza! Pizza!”

When Patch.com interviewed the Bruces Friday at 10 a.m., Ian already had assembled 65 pizzas in the previous three hours. Lindsey was waiting with the two Bruce children — she called them “our little delivery drivers” — to hand off that first batch of pizzas to ministry volunteers for lunchtime distribution.

Johnny’s hasn’t been hit as hard as some businesses during the pandemic, with business about 65 percent of what it normally is. Pizzas for distribution by the cooperative are about 10 percent of that, but he sells them at less than half of their regular price. If you want to help, visit the Southeastern Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry’s website. You can also visit the ministry's website to see if you qualify for help.

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