A new Vincennes pizza restaurant represents more than a new business for the family behind it. It also marks a new beginning after Hurricane Helene heavily damaged their businesses in North Carolina.
Vinyl Pies Pizza held its ribbon cutting Friday in Vincennes, opening a new chapter for a family that has already been through quite a journey to get here.
Karen Howard Goss owns and operates the restaurant with her husband, son and daughter-in-law. Before coming to Vincennes, the family ran a 15-room inn and restaurant, along with Vinyl Pies Pizza, in the Appalachian Trail community of Hot Springs, North Carolina.
That changed when Hurricane Helene hit. Goss said the storm caused extensive damage to the family’s inn, restaurant and pizza shop, forcing them to rethink their plans and eventually look for a new place to call home.
“We knew we had to just kind of take a detour with our retirement plan,” Goss said. “We loved the Vinyl Pies concept, so we knew we wanted to be near our children and our grandchildren, and that led us to Indiana.”
The family initially looked closer to the southern Indiana-Kentucky area before finding a building for sale in Vincennes. Goss said they decided to visit the city and were immediately impressed by the reception they received.
“The second we stepped foot out of the car, we were met with nothing but warmth and kindness,” Goss said.
She said that reception continued as the family prepared to open the restaurant. Goss said her family has moved several times over the years and has always been welcomed into new communities, but the response in Vincennes stood out.
“We have never received a reception as warm as we have in Vincennes,” Goss said. “The support, the enthusiasm, the excitement, the kindness, the messages has been unbelievable.”
Vinyl Pies combines its pizza menu with a music-themed atmosphere. The restaurant includes vinyl records and Beatles memorabilia, along with displays featuring the Indianapolis 500 and “Back Home Again in Indiana.” Goss said the restaurant was designed so customers can discover something different each time they visit.
The restaurant also places an emphasis on inclusion. Goss said the family wants people of different backgrounds and abilities to feel welcome. One wall carries the message, “Everybody deserves a seat at the show,” and includes sign language and other elements recognizing disability inclusion.
Goss said the family’s approach centers on what it calls a “trifecta” — the food, the atmosphere and the staff. She said having good pizza and an interesting place is not enough without employees who make customers feel welcome.
