Local Favorite Restaurant Getting A Facelift
The original Pizza Palace building as it stood in 1902.
Work has begun on the Pizza Palace building exterior.
By Bev Donner-Williams
The Burwell community witnessed the unexpected demolition of the outer walls of the Pizza Palace on the northeast side of the downtown business square on Sat., April 12. The west wall had previously been supported by a wooden brace since the stucco exterior began to crack in 2023.
Andrea Seidel Horner, owner of the Pizza Palace since 2017, explained, “The inner bricks gave way and began to push the two layers of stucco away from the building. It just happened that family and friends could tear it down on Saturday. The decision was made on Friday. I didn’t have time to inform the public as we were very busy in the restaurant Friday night”
“This will not be an overnight project,” Horner continued, “We are going to do the work ourselves. My husband, Cody, has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and my father has worked in construction all of his life. Cody farms and ranches for his parents near Wagner, South Dakota, and as we all know, this is the beginning of the busiest time of the year. Our goal is to complete the construction before the winter of 2026.”
The next phase for the Pizza Palace is to replace the front door and windows to make the building more energy efficient. As of now, business as usual!
The building was constructed by Melvin McGrew in 1902 for his cousin I.W. McGrew who opened a general merchandise store that sold food, clothing, shoes, yard goods, buttons, as well as many more items. McGrew gave away mixing bowls that had “It pays to mix with I.W. McGrew” imprinted on the bottom.
Stanley Rutar purchased the building and established the Burwell Hatchery in 1941 selling feed and baby chicks. The business was purchased by Harry Williams in 1946, and then resold to Everett and Vivian Holloway.
The building began its renowned history as the Pizza Palace in 1984 with partners Tim and Diana Hurlburt with Craig and Brenda Manley. From 1989 thru 2014, the delicious pizza tradition continued with Sandy Fischer with partners Del and Mary Harris. Jim and Terri Gross owned the restaurant for a short time before selling it to Horner in 2017.
The outside of the Pizza Palace may look different, but the famous pizza experience and recipe remain the same since that first pizza loaded with cheese and delectable toppings in 1984. Some of the local favorites include the Combo, Meatlovers, Chicken Bacon Ranch, as well as the Naked Italian.
Burwell has all you need for that long awaited get-away. The community offers Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, many activities at the Calamus reservoir, and the mouthwatering, delicious pizza from the Pizza Palace!