Prospector's Pizzeria strikes gold
Prospector's Pizzeria super fan and unofficial mascot Bob Stephans stands with the business' new custom metal sign — cut by Up Ten Weld in Wallace.
Photo by CHANSE WATSON
Prospector's Pizzeria boasts an array of arcade games and a mini-golf course for their younger customers.
A Prospector Pie comes fresh out of the oven during last week's soft-opening.
PINEHURST — The Silver Valley now has a new option for pizza and family fun.
Prospector's Pizzeria in Pinehurst celebrated its grand opening on Thursday and owners Jim and Melissa Driskell couldn't have been happier with the reception they've received.
In fact, keeping pizza in-stock has been an issue since they held a soft-opening last Saturday.
"Keeping up with demand has been the biggest challenge so far," Melissa said. "We're overwhelmed with the support and we're very blessed."
Working in collaboration with their two daughters, Marissa Driskell and Kristina Barney, and their son-in-law, Bryan Barney, the family owned and operated business has fulfilled a goal for both Jim and Melissa.
For a decade, Jim has wanted to open a place that provided entertainment for local kids. On Melissa's side of things, she's always had her eye on running her own restaurant. The combined dreams have now resulted in Prospector's Pizzeria.
"The pizzeria was just a natural fit with games and birthday parties," Jim said.
After initially looking at a property in Kellogg, it was decided in July of 2020 that they were going to go with the old Real Life Ministries building at 10 S. Division St.
Jim explains that the location is perfect, as he and his family are Pinehurst residents and the business is close to the local elementary school.
In addition to offering various pizzas, their menu also boasts chicken wings, bread sticks, nachos, soups and salads.
Since the pizza business was new to all the owners, there was a bit of a learning curve at first. Thanks to help though from Sysco, their food provider, they have been able to get into the swing of things and create a delicious product.
As an entertainment destination for kids, Prospector's Pizzeria includes an array of arcade games and an indoor mini-golf course. For birthdays, the building has party rooms that can be rented out for special occasions.
As for the name and decor of the place, Jim says that it's all based on the Silver Valley being a mining community.
"All of our signature pizzas are named after historical Silver Valley mines," he said.
Looking forward, the Driskells don't plan on ever doing delivery, but instead will focus on being a fun destination for kids in the community.
Prospector's Pizzeria is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday thru Monday.
They can be reached by phone at 208-682-4423. For more information, visit their website at www.ProspectorsPizzeria.com or like them on Facebook.
