202 Magazine September 2013 Edition September 2013 | Page 38

/ 202 NEIGHBOR / MEET & GREET
Written by wu Jessica Parsons

41Years
Celebrating
Organ Stop a “Must-Stop” Pizza & Pipes

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It might sound cliche, but Organ Stop Pizza truly is a Valley icon—a family destination you’ll want to visit over and again. It’s a legacy that began 41 years ago. The year was 1972. The original owner, William P. Brown opened the first location at the corner of 7th Street and Missouri with an organ from Grauman’s Hollywood Egyptian Theater. Three years later, they went looking for a new sound. “After ‘talkies’ took over the cinema and the Great Depression hit, the mighty Wurlitzer was rarely heard,” says co-owner Jack Barz. “It was damaged in a fire, but the original owners of Organ Stop bought it in 1975, and restored it for their second location in Mesa. Today, the nations largest Wurlitzer pipe organ is still located in Mesa, Ariz. at Organ Stop Pizza. “It’s the star of the show,” says Barz. “Built for the Denver Theatre and installed in 1927, it’s a piece of American history,” he adds. In 1995, Organ Stop moved to its current location on Stapley Drive and Southern Avenue, and still attracts hundreds of thousands of patrons each year with its theatrical performances complete with disco balls, dancing puppets and songs ranging from classical music to Disney favorites to pop and rock