Wichita’s newest pizza place officially opens to the public on Wednesday and will serve a type of pizza the owners call Arkansas-style.
Kim and Larry Partlow, who moved to the Wichita area from northwest Arkansas 16 years ago, are finally ready to open The Pinnacle Pizza Company, a restaurant they’ve been dreaming about for nearly a decade. They’ve taken over the spot at 832 N. Webb Road that most recently was occupied by Shocker Pools. Before that, the space was home to Livingston’s Diner.
Arkansas-style pizza, which the couple loved when they lived in Arkansas, has a bready pizza “crust handle,” Kim Partlow said, but the underside crust is crunchy. The couple plans to achieve the correct texture using deck ovens, which they say produce a better product than conveyor ovens.
When they lived in Arkansas, the couple was particularly fond of Dennis Bariola’s pizza restaurant in Rogers, which is called Bariola’s Pizzeria. His pies became their gold standard, and they eventually befriended the Bariola family, whose members shared advice and recipes.
In addition to that special crust, Pinnacle pizzas will be topped with Bacio cheese, which is extra stretchy when cooked, Kim Partlow said…