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Chris Cole of Corvallis prepares dough for a late evening rush at Slices, a new pizza venue on Monroe Avenue. In the background, Jon Naylor of Utah takes a break from making pizzas.

Slices, which serves New York style pies, is known for its baked potato pizza. During busy hours, the establishment has eight kinds of pizza for sale.

Serving up Slices

New pizza restaurant on Monroe already boasts regular customers

By: Lauren Dillard

Posted: 1/19/07

The sign isn't even up over the door yet, but it's open for business.

"We took down the paper and people were trying to get in," Slices owner Jeff Naylor said Thursday night.

Located on Monroe Avenue across from Gilbert Hall, Slices sells New York-style pizza.

"We drove to town, and the next day we bought a house," Naylor said. He and his wife drove back home to Arizona to wait for the house to be finished.

Naylor, his wife and their seven kids moved to Corvallis a few months later.

A network engineer based in Arizona, Naylor decided he was done with standard corporate culture.

"We love vacationing up here," Naylor said.

Astoria is one of Naylor's favorite vacation spots. He had been researching Oregon and potential locations to build his business before moving to the area.

"It's not rocket science," said Chris Cole, Corvallis resident and Slices dough-tosser.

"If I can eat cheap and it's good food, I'm gonna frequent the restaurant," added Jon Naylor of Utah, Jeff's yonger brother.

Jeff Naylor decided to bring his family business to the edge of Oregon State's campus.

Slices opened Monday and attracted business instantly. Heath Giesbrecht, a graduate student in chemistry, and Darlene Valencia, a chemistry lab assistant, have been patrons of the restaurant since day one.

"I've tried everything on Monroe," Valencia said, adding that she had been working at the university for years. For her, the selection of establishments just wasn't enough.

Giesbrecht said he is not a fan of Monroe's other pizza place. Valencia said she is willing to try any new place on Monroe.

"There's a lot of people that come between classes," Jon Naylor said. After its first few days of business, the restaurant already has regulars.

During its busiest hours, Slices keeps eight pizzas stocked to sell by the slice. Six of these pizza varieties include cheese, pepperoni, veggie, Italian, Tuscan and baked potato. The other two pizza styles vary daily.

"It's baked potato in pizza form," said Patrick Neill, a first year graduate student in computer science, commenting on the restaurant's most unique pizza variety.

"We just threw it out one day," Jon Naylor said. According to Jon Naylor, the baked potato pizza is the trademark of Slices.

The baked potato pizza originated in the kitchen of Jeff Naylor and his wife. Having seven children, Jon Naylor explained, Jeff was looking for a less expensive method to feed his family - less expensive than eating out.

Thus, baked potato pizza was born.

"At first, it seemed like an overload of carbohydrates," Giesbrecht said, but quickly he learned to love it.

Slices is open until 3 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. They are also open late on Saturdays depending on business demand. Slices is closed on Sunday.

Jeff Naylor hopes that his business will grow enough to add a few more employees and a delivery service.

Individual slices cost $2.25 for cheese, $2.50 for two to three toppings and $3 for more than four toppings. Slices will add an Italian beef sandwich to its menu next week.

Salads and Pepsi products with free refills fill out the menu.

"I'm just somebody who likes pizza," Cole said.

"It's really been good. It's fun too," Jon Naylor said.