When longtime IT director Mike Porreca retired after decades working with Fortune 100 companies like Dell Services and DXC, he assumed life would slow down. It didn’t.
“I’m proud to say I’m a failure at retiring,” he says with a grin.
Instead of settling down, he bought a small pizza shop to help his nephew leave the construction industry. That first shop, in Ross Township, led to a second acquisition: Mars Pizza. At the time, it operated out of a cramped 800-square-foot building on Pittsburgh Street with no air conditioning, limited equipment, and nowhere to sit. Porreca saw potential—not only in the shop, but in the town itself.
He purchased a larger building on Grand Avenue, renovated it, and reopened Mars Pizza in its current location. The results were immediate.
“It’s been a fantastic move,” he says. “More space means more room for better ingredients, more menu options, and a better experience for the customer.”
Inside the Kitchen: Quality Over Everything
Mars Pizza doesn’t compete on price. It competes on quality—and it shows in the numbers.
“We go through one to one-and-a-half tons of cheese a week,” Porreca says. “We bring in the blocks, cut them, and grate them in-house so it’s always fresh.”
The attention to detail extends across the menu. The shop’s signature “Bar Pies”—thin, crispy, airy crusts topped edge to edge—take a full day of prep before they’re ready to bake. Recently, they introduced Sicilian-style square pizzas (“like the grandma pies”), which are thick, crunchy pizzas that hold toppings beautifully. And then there are the pepperoni pinwheels—described by Porreca as “a nut roll filled with pepperoni and cheese, sliced, then baked to delicious perfection.”
Even the team has their favorites. Nursing student Kaydi Kennedy, who works Sundays at Mars Pizza, doesn’t hesitate when asked: “I love the Sicilian,” she says. “It’s so fluffy and incredible—especially with sausage and green pepper. It’s delicious.”
Service as a Mission
For Porreca, pizza is just the platform. People are the purpose. “When you answer the phone here, it’s never ‘Pickup or delivery?’ It’s ‘How can I help you?’”
He trains teenagers and part-time workers not just to make food, but to build character. And when he feels someone deserves more, he gives more.
“If I want to hand out bonus checks that my accountant says are too big, I do it. If I want to help someone with college, I will,” he says. “It’s about investing in people.”
Kaydi says that investment shows up every day. “I’d never worked at a place that feels so welcoming,” she says. “Everyone is so nice here—it doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like a family. Mike’s amazing. Even before I worked here, I’d heard great things about him. Now I get to see it for myself.”
Where Faith Meets Art — and Pizza
Artist Dina Russo opened the Masterpiece Creations Art Gallery next door to Mars Pizza.
Porreca met local artist and gallery owner Dina Russo through a Christian business roundtable called Truth at Work. During renovations, he offered her unused space in the new Mars Pizza building.
What began as a practical solution evolved into an unexpected partnership—pizza, art, and live music under one roof. “Is it a natural fit? I’m not sure,” Mike laughs. “But it’s working. People come for pizza and stay for the paintings—or they come for the art and discover our food.”
A Catalyst for Downtown
Since the move, Porreca has watched neighboring storefronts shift. A high-end women’s boutique is opening in a former hair salon. A bookstore is moving into the old travel agency. A specialty culinary and gourmet cheese shop draws food enthusiasts a little farther down the street
“Whether it’s because of us or not, I don’t know,” he says humbly. “But there’s more light down here. More places to go. People are starting to see what Mars could become.”
Porreca likes to joke that he’s a “failure at retiring,” but in reality, he’s become something far different — an unexpected force in Mars. What started as a small business venture has turned into a catalyst for the main street’s revival, driven by simple ingredients: good food, hard work, and genuine care for people.
Mike the Mentor
To most people, Mars Pizza is a local favorite. But for the young staff behind the counter, it’s more than a job — it’s a place to grow up. Mike doesn’t just hire help. He builds people.
Ask 23-year-old manager Nathan Germeyer. Before shaping dough, he was firing artillery as an airborne soldier in the U.S. Army.
“I jumped out of airplanes and shot cannons,” he says with a grin. “Now I make close to a hundred pizzas a day.”
The transition might sound drastic — combat boots to kitchen shoes — but Nathan sees the connection.
“Teamwork, leadership, showing up early… it’s the same as the military. Mike trusts you, pushes you, and expects your best.”
Nathan started as a delivery driver. Mike noticed his work ethic and moved him through phones, prep, cooking — all the way to manager.
“I like being a leader,” Nathan says. “You set the tone for everyone else.”
Coworker Kaydi agrees: “He’s a mentor, a coach, and a boss all in one,” she says. “He wants to help you grow, but if something needs improvement, he’ll coach you through it. He cares about you as a person.”
Mike sums it up simply:
“I’m not just trying to make good workers. I’m trying to help make good people.”
Not every lesson comes from a classroom. Some come from a pizza line, a 100-pound batch of dough, or a boss who believes in you before you believe in yourself.
To customers, Mike is the guy who makes their favorite slice possible.
To the young people he mentors — he’s something far more important.
A mentor in an apron.