Best Pizza honors go to 10-year winner, Frankie’s Pizza

Frankie's Pizza opened in 1988 and is owned by Jim and Frankie Westlake and Chris Garcia, who started working there in 1989.

Frankie’s Pizza opened in 1988 and is owned by Jim and Frankie Westlake and Chris Garcia, who started working there in 1989.

“We have great people who work for us and it’s a fun business to be in.” said Garcia of North Bend.

Frankie’s Pizza serves traditional and gourmet pizzas, ranging from cheese to elaborate pesto pies. What started as a Valley staple eventually spread to Issaquah, Maple Valley, Enumclaw and Bonney Lake.

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When asked why Frankie’s has a special place in the hearts of Valley locals, Garcia attributes the love to quality service.

“We try to make quality pizza and offer good service and just try our best,” Garcia continued. “We’re not perfect. If we mess up, we just try to make it right with people and work hard.”

Although serving a quality product is an obvious, essential quality for an award-winning business, most attribute Frankie’s fame to sheer community service and generosity. Frankie’s Pizza sponsors two $500 scholarships for Mount Si High School graduates annually and donates to so many events that Garcia can’t list them all.

“We’re pretty active in the community and I couldn’t even tell you how many things we sponsor.” he said.

North Bend’s manager Heidi Ayres has worked in the service industry for 10 years, but spent years traveling before she and her husband decided to move to the Valley. Ayres praised Garcia and his coowners.

“They really care about the community, which is nice because, with all of the traveling I’ve done, I haven’t had the chance to get to know a community. So, it’s like we actually have a place here, we feel like we have roots.”