The last decade has been rough on Elizabeth Badami, who owns the Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizzeria that recently opened its doors at 442 Carolina Ave. in Chester.

Initially in Monaca, Pa. she and her late husband had opened the pizzeria in her mother (Mary Jane Hyre)’s name, after she died in a fatal car crash.

Two years later, Badami would find herself going alone after her husband also passed away.

Six and a half years of business in, Badami’s landlord sold the building where her business was located, leaving her without a brick-and-mortar location any longer.

Elizabeth Badami, owner of Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizzeria, holds a box containing one of her recently completely hand tossed pizzas with pepperoni and extra cheese.

Her pizza shop equipment all went into storage as Badami looked for a new location.

Enter Dominique Adkins, owner of Frank’s Pastry Shop in downtown Chester. Badami had been making and selling pizza kits at Frank’s, when she noticed the For Sale sign on a building up the street.

The 100-year-old building at 442 Carolina Ave. in Chester has had a colorful history. Past manifestations have included as a restaurant, pharmacy and laundromat, according to Badami.

Nineteen years ago, she had dreamed of having a light-up sign on her own restaurant. She saw that dream come true.

“It is an indescribable feeling when dreams you had for so many years start to come to life right before your eyes, because you just keep pushing through and you make it happen,” she explained.

Elizabeth Badami, owner of Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizzeria, stands next to a photograph of her late mother and some of her Mary Jane Stone Baked Pizzeria-brand Christmas ornaments at the front counter of her storefront. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

Under the guidance of her father Mike Hyre, she learned to mud and drywall as well as do all sorts of things she never thought she could accomplish. “I couldn’t have done it all without him,” Badami added.

She, in turn, will work alongside her two teenage sons in the pizzeria.

The menu includes all the expected products — pizzas with traditional and non-traditional toppings as well as calzones. However, Mary Jane’s customers also will be able to get items like gyros, wings, various salads and hoagies with her unique twist.

Badami is all about “quality over quantity,” so she only will use the best quality ingredients, whether it means driving to western Pennsylvania to pick up her favorite cheese or rolls or making a pizza dough that takes three days to proof just to be right.

Lessons well learned while working as a server at Outbreak restaurant, where they made their own salad dressing from scratch to garner the best possible products instead of buying remade.

Elizabeth Badami, owner of Mary Jane’s Stone Baked Pizzeria, checks on the progress of a baking hand-tossed pepperoni and extra cheese pizza that she had in her pizza oven. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

Today, Badami implements that philosophy, recalling that scratch made model, whether it is her pizza dough or the special garlic butter sauce for her wings.

The deliciousness is in the details. For her, all toppings must go to the edge on every pizza. Her wings are seasoned before frying, and then you add your favorite sauce for another layer of flavor.

Badami plans to keep those pizza kits that got her through for a few tough years around as a shop staple. In her pizza kits, purchasers get two pizza shells, her favorite shredded cheese, pepperoni along with her pizza sauce for a great treat on the road.

Currently they are open 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. However, those hours are expected to be adjusted, so check the pizzeria’s social media and online presence for updated hours.

Cash and credit cards are accepted. While she is operating pickup only through the end of the year, she hopes to add in-house delivery soon.

For information, call 724-728-JANE (5263) or visit online www.maryjanesstonebakedpizzeria.com.

sujhelyi@mojonews.com