While Chester’s officially became a carry-out pizzeria in 1954, the locally loved pizza itself was first a bakery item out of Chester and Mary Dadabo’s grocery store at 2221 Pleasant Ave. in Lindenwald. The current location at 2929 Dixie Highway is run by the Dadabos’ four children since Chester’s death in 1979 and Mary’s in 1996.
“People didn’t want him to close his grocery store,” said Nick Dadabo. “They knew they could buy quality food and quality meat, and didn’t want him to stick his neck out. But dad firmly believed in the theory of Christopher Columbus. He said, ‘Columbus took a chance, and here we are.’”
Even though Chester’s has had some competition spring up over the years — including Chester’s nephew Raymond, who runs Raymond’s Pizza in Liberty Township — Nick Dadabo considers them more friends than rivals.
“Yeah, they’re competition, but they’re people we respect because they invested in Hamilton…in Fairfield,” he said. “It’s a great move to see someone like Tony Brown (of All8Up Downtown Pizza Co.) invest in downtown Hamilton.”
While the Dadabos consider April 1 to be their official anniversary, they’ll be celebrating yearlong with more than free slices and sodas. According to Nick Dadabo, plans are in the works for a prize drawing sometime later in the year, though nothing has been set.
Many patrons who grabbed a free slice with or without a placed order had fond memories of Chester’s.
Tammy Martinkovik, a Hamilton native working in Fairfield, has loved Chester’s pizza since her high school days in the ’70s, and still thinks it’s the best around.
“It’s the dough and the sauce,” she said. “It’s really something special.”
Chester’s is still using Mary Dadabo’s sauce and dough recipes, which remain a family secret. For Herman Anderson, another Hamilton native, it’s the toppings that’s kept him coming back since he was a kid.
“They’ve got the right amount of onions,” he said. “And they’ve stayed the same for all of these years.”
The Dadabos future plans are to keep Chester’s up and running just as their parents did. With nephews and cousins working in the pizzeria now, the Dadabos can keep serving up the family’s trademark pizza.
“If my parents were alive, I think they would be very, very proud that their children continued this,” Nick Dadabo said. “The third and fourth generations are carrying on; pretty good for a business where they said no one’s ever going to buy anything.”
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