The newly-opened Lost Pizza Company, which offers endless homemade options, has found a home in Starkville.
John Mark Elliot, owner of the franchise, said growth and increasing business is his reason for opening the restaurant in Starkville.
“My wife and I own the one in Tupelo, and we were looking at expanding,” Elliot said. 
He said the college town atmosphere and its proximity to Tupelo also influenced their decision before beginning development. 
“It took about 90 days from start to finish, as far as construction, to be opened,” he said. 
Since this was Elliot’s third restaurant, opening it was fairly easy. Elliot said he had an advantage because his friend was the landlord of the building, and he had a good contractor.
According to Elliot, business at Lost Pizza has been rewarding. He said he is not only pleased with the progress, but also satisfied with its success.
He said the fresh homemade ingredients and laidback atmosphere distinguish Lost Pizza from other local restaurants.
“We make our own pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce,” Elliot said. “We chop our own vegetables and make our dough daily.” 
Customers have the options to build their own pizza and choose between salsa and Alfredo-based pizzas. 
“It’s a pretty good variety,” he said.
He described the restaurant as having a family-oriented environment. 
“We’ve had a lot of college students and families with young kids eat here,” Elliot said. 
New items on the menu may be found occassionally.
“There are six locations throughout the state, and every restaurant will try a little something different. If it works, we’ll add it to it, so we do occasionally add things to our menu,” he said. 
Elliot said lunch has been successful, but pizza business saw a better response at dinnertime.
“It’s an evening business for the most part,” he said. 
Barry Miller, manager at Lost Pizza, said he enjoys working at the restaurant because the people are fun and the customers are appreciative. 
“It’s a really good place to work because we serve good food, and it’s very enjoyable,” he said.
Lauren Nast, sophomore elementary education major, said she likes eating at Lost Pizza Company because the menu provides a different dining experience with many options and the workers are helpful. 
“They offer different combinations and they have really good service,” she said.
Elliot, who resides in Tupelo, has had past restaurant ownership experience with Lost Pizza of Tupelo and has owned a sandwich restaurant, as well. Elliot’s goal with Lost Pizza is to provide great food and service.
Lost Pizza Company is located off of Miss. Highway 12 in State Shopping Center.