Remembering my first permanent job. A part time custodial shift in a pizza prlor called Pizza Haven.

I was soon out of college at WWU and it was a good start that lasted over 10 years. A fun place to work.

Back in the late 1970s to early 80s, full time jobs were hard to find, but living expenses were low. I was able to meet my modest bills with quite a bit of free time to develop my creative interests and bicycle travel.

The people were good and the job was low stress. They had a promotion called "Pizza Haven is Pizza Heaven." I still have the frizbee.

I was able to afford a nice apartment in Bellingham on a fairly low wage part time job.

Can you believe my rent for a one bedroom with kitchen and living room was only $155 per month?

Yes, it was below market, for even back then, but way below today's prices. This was late 1970s early 1980s. Wages ahve gone up since then, but rents and property values have gone up much more.

I heared about the job at Bellingham Senior Center. Yes, I was going to the Senior Center during college as it had an employment office. They sent people out to senior homes for things like lawn mowing jobs.

When a part time cleaning job came in, the employment agent walked me out into the big room, where, these days, I eat senior meals.

Back then, the seniors were playing bingo and the employment agent ask me, "how many of these seniors do you think want to get up in the morning to clean a restaurant?" We both agreed probably not likely.

The restaurant wanted a reliable senior, but I got sent out out to the job though I was only in my 20s.

The first manager was dubious, but I stuck with it and out lasted several managers.

Pictured is some of the mess by the ovens I would clean up in the morning before opening.

Pizza Haven had indoor dining, but also a big delivery business. Dorms at WWU were big sources of customers.

Photo from an old Western Front newspaper.

Masthead at the top is from the corporate newsletter called "A Slice Of Pizza Haven."

The company had over 40 locations mostly in Washingon State. It was headquartered in Seattle. There was also one in my home town of Pullman.

After about 10 years, corporate shuffling was happening. Some of the Pizza Haven locations were sold to another company - Pietro's.

I kept working and didn't realize that Pizza Haven had a profit sharing retirement plan.

It wasn't that profitable in the later years, so when the company sold, I got my share of the plan, a whole 26 cents.

The paperwork explaning tax rules and rollover options still came in a large envelope.

Fortunately I got a more lucrative retirement plan from a future employer.

When the Soviet Union fell, I came up with an idea for the reader board that was soon after it became Pietro's Pizza. I continued working there a bit longer.

Not long after the new company purchased, it went out of business. That was after I left and was working at YMCA.

Photo taken 1991.

Eventually the old Pizza Haven building, on Magnolia and Garden Streets, was being converted into Binyon Optometrist.

On a bike trip, I saw that there was still a Pietro's Pizza in Hood River, Oregon. Lots of corporate musical chairs going on as owning entities come and go.

As for Pizza Haven, the last location was at Seattle Center, well into the 2000s.

On another bike trip, I passed what may have been part of a commisary truck for delivering supplies to the various locations. It was in a rural yard east of Everett. This image taken in 1994.

In 1988 I passed the Bothell location of Pizza Haven near Seattle.

It is still a pizza parlor, but called Sparta's these days. I have eaten there several times over the years. Most recently in the summer of 2025 bike riding around Seattle area.