Business of the Month
April 2019
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #1
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #2The Economic Committee has nominated Little Italy’s Pizza and Watts Barber Shop for Businesses of the Month. Little Italy’s Pizza is located at 114 N. Main, Brighton, 372-8800, open Sunday-Thursday, 4- 8:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 4 -9:30 pm. Owners are Mike, Kathy and Craig Moreland. Operated as a corporation, the Moreland’s have dedicated themselves to serving great-tasting pizzas, subs and appetizers at a good price with superb customer service. Mike and Kathy met as teenagers working at her dad’s pizza place, Angelo’s, in Springfield, so pizza was “always in their DNA”. Fast-forward 20 years, Mike lost his job when the Pillsbury plant in Springfield closed and moved to Tennessee. “So, we decided to go back to what we knew.” They took the Angelos’ recipes and opened a store in Staunton. Following its success, they opened stores in Carlinville, Chatham, Mt. Olive and Brighton. Next year, they will be celebrating their 25th year in the business. The challenges in operating a business in the State of Illinois is that “We know our customers are all on a budget, and the challenge is to keep prices down, while absorbing cost increases.” “What we won’t compromise on, is product. We are committed to using high-quality ingredients in all of our products.” Future plans are to possibly look into some other locations, including dine-in. The Moreland’s have 36 total employees; eight in Brighton: Amanda Pellegrino, manager; Amanda Dublo, assistant manager, Diana Watson, Doug Sheets, Mitch Anderson, Robb Merritt, Riley Fiene, Deanna Stahlschmidt. “Our crew does a great job, and they are a big reason we continue to be successful.” They have decided to run a ‘Business of the Month’ special for April- a large specialty pizza for $11.99, a savings of $4. Watts Barber Shop, Inc., an ‘S’ corporation is owned by Roger Watts. He has been cutting hair for 45 years, the longest continuous barber in town. He is open at his shop, located at 204 North Street, Brighton, Wednesday-Friday, 8:30 am-5; Saturday-8:30 am-3 pm. He is closed on Sundays. Watts Barber Shop is a familiar destination for many in the area, where there is agreeable conversation and a satisfactory haircut. Roger started thinking about his life’s work during high school. He listened to what his older brothers were saying about their jobs. Many of them were shift workers, and talked about troubles with their shifts, the job politics, and seniority difficulties, with guys coming back from the war reclaiming their jobs. Roger wasn’t sure that shift work was what he wanted to do. His mother suggested that Roger take up barbering, like her brother Abe Williams. Watts enrolled in Springfield Barber College in 1963. Training consisted of 1,850 hours of training, state exams apprenticeship for 2 ½ years, then a final master barber test. Watts passed and keeps up his license. Watts started his barbering career in September 1964, working in Godfrey with shop owner, Everett Auer. Watts was the third man in the three-man operation. Watts did take a couple of years away from the business, with a stint in the Navy. He served in San Diego and a tour in Vietnam. Watts got the opportunity in 1974 to buy his Uncle Abe William’s shop in Brighton when Williams retired. The best thing about the job is that everyone’s hair is different, it’s not like being on a production line where you learn one routine and do it.” He explained, “The good Lord made everyone’s hair come out of their head a little differently, and that is a challenge.” He further explained that with the variety of hair, there are different ways to cut it. “You learn how people want it, and how to do it, but the best thing about the job is meeting a lot of people.” Watts didn’t think that there have been many changes over the years. “There has been a cycle of haircuts. When I came back from the service in ’68, the long hairstyles were starting. If barbers wouldn’t adjust or couldn’t adjust to the new styles, they lost a lot of customers to hair styling shops. Roger’s future plans are to continue barbering for a few more years, “then find a young man like I was, and let him take over in the next two to three years. There are still plenty of people in Brighton that need a haircut.” 
