"Welcome to Brooklyn, How Sweet it Is."
Thus proclaims a photo of a road sign hanging in the entrance of Brooklyn Pizza in downtown Fulton, and for owner Brian Atkins, the restaurant truly is the sweet achievement of a lifelong dream.
Born and raised in Brooklyn - primarily in the Canarsie section of the borough - Atkins said his main goal with the new restaurant located at the corner of Court and Fifth streets was to recreate a piece of his past.
"I just tried to recreate an old-school pizzeria," Atkins said, noting he put attention into every detail ranging from the tablecloths to the ingredients in his meatballs to ensure he was "getting the right feel for the place."
Although his most recent job was as a manager for the Payless stores in Columbia and Jefferson City, Atkins' degree is in hotel and restaurant management and he has 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry - including 12 years with Sbarro's.
Owning his own place is something Atkins said he has always dreamed about, and when The Callaway Bank started offering low interest loans for the revitalization of downtown Fulton it was an opportunity too good to pass up.
"My wife, Karen (Atkins, editor of the Fulton Sun), said "It's got to be now or never,'" Brian Atkins said. "I've always wanted my own pizzeria, so I went after it."