When that Sunday afternoon arrives, or even Monday evening, and most cooks in your house have scampered, the newish Hawi food save is KO Pizza delivering New York style pizza directly to the food truck window when you are standing under the Banyan Tree on Hawi Road. Owner Kelly Woods admits that “our heart and soul has gone into the pizza truck. Pizza is the people's food.”

Woods and her pizza business partner Oliver Van Zandt gathered momentum when returning in 2016 to live on Big Island as a couple, yes, hoping to purchase a home in the Kohala area. And that meant securing second jobs above and beyond their full-time commitments. Yet they wondered if another avenue or street existed as in affordable street food priced accessibly for locals? And so a knock out idea baked; welcome to KO pizza.

Oliver's is a third generation Van Zandt family thriving in Kohala; he and Kelly comprise that ongoing family history when crossing 2,800 miles of Pacific ocean to rejoin Hawaiian shores. A few years ago, when his grandparents needed more health attention, Oliver motivated Kelly to make Hawai'i home again, for reconnecting with and supporting family, in their return to where each was born and raised.

Remains a truism that startups encounter challenges meaning the KO Pizza food truck road has experienced some bumps. Building the food truck from its origins as just four wheels meant Oliver next had to design new walls and a roof. Rather than a had to point-of-view these two adopted a want to build creative spirit that delivers on a dream. So for one year while working their day jobs, earning those funds, the food truck evolved to being mostly complete based on cash flow and a business loan. Some upgrades are still in the future works.

In an already hectic day, Kelly made the phone calls that matter most yet bring uncertainty: how small businesses quest forward. Would Kohala Surety allow them to open business under the banyan tree adjacent to Minit Stop on every Sunday and Monday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.? So far the answer is yes. Would the right insurance company present a policy that covers food trucks? One has been located and at a cost, another one to juggle. Would the heavy and huge brick pizza oven in Hilo be possibly extracted from a building there and delivered to Hawi? Possible when one business partner has construction connections. And would the vigilant food truck health inspector award the paper? The required Green Card now sits high on a shiny metal wall.

Despite midnight wonderings if KO Pizza could even work, Kelly and Oliver stayed true north while sourcing the prized pizza item—and that would be the dough. The couple met at Rock n Roll Pizza in Moorpark, California, working together for ten years. Served at this restaurant was the classic thin crust New York style dough. Magic is in the ratio for five basics combine to align just-so: flour, warm water, yeast, olive oil, and salt. Kelly and Oliver source their dough from a former mainland pizza colleague and stock enough for weeks forward in a commercial food kitchen freezer.

Standing outside the pizza truck on Hawi Road, what you observe watching the culinary acolytes in action—Mashayla Van Zandt and Eric Steinhoff—is KO Pizza got hustle. Mashayla balances the phone on her shoulder while writing an order and saying thank you to a customer standing outside the pizza truck window and handing a quantity of grated mozarella, grabbed from the freezer, to Eric a few feet away and then removing a few slices from the 550 degree brick oven. We got pizza making, baking, and delivering calisthenics inside this food truck. Her pizza colleague Eric occupies a key niche as the pizza chef. Fresh dough gets an air toss, cornmeal sprinkled on a wooden pizza spatula, dough placed here, one scoop tomato sauce, spice ingredients sprinkled (proprietary), shredded cheese arranged—and voila, whole pizza success.

One crunchy thin crust slice gives flavor room to savor melted cheese and tomato depth with spicy pepperoni. (Pizza slices that are more bread than other ingredients are not this.) Today's food research (a writer's labor) was that I had to order a second slice—Portuguese sausage with onion. Again, New York style thin crust means a fold in the slice's middle and bites combining piping gooey cheese, onion, sausage, and tomato all in one savory adventure are quite rewarding.

The KO pizza team savor their culinary success so far. Mashayla stays jazzed that her pizza work is “connecting with local community in this unique experience.” Music blares at the right decibels and makes for festive vibes. She appreciates that families bring whole pizzas to the grassy lawn, enjoying a meal outdoors. Eric finds that joining a food start-up in its entrepreneur roots demonstrates how to succeed. New to pizza chefing, he values pizza learning, and being heard by the bosses. Those two close up shop for the day since Kelly and Oliver arrive around 5 p.m. to create and to serve the last pizzas of the day.

KO Pizza open every Sunday and Monday 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Phone orders accepted: 808 313 0514 https://www.kopizzahawaii.com