Rolling Thunder Pizza open for business

Last Thursday, March 24, Odessa's newest business offering, Rolling Thunder Pizza, passed its final inspection with the Lincoln County Health Department and began serving pizza that same evening. With such short notice and only social media to spread the word, the first night was slow, as was to be expected. Only one pizza was sold. Word spread rapidly after that, and the next evening 15 pizzas went out the door. On Saturday, they sold out.

Brothers Nate and James Lathrop bought the former Pastime Tavern from Greg Haase in 2007, renamed it the Rolling Thunder Saloon and operated it under that name until it closed in 2012. The next year, the business reopened as the Green Goat Gathering Gallery, featuring the works of local and guest artists. A small collection of antiques and second-hand items were also made available for sale.

Now, Rolling Thunder Pizza has been added as a secondary business run by Nate Lathrop and Jennifer Springer. Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only, from 6 to 10 p.m., pizzas can be delivered to addresses within the town limits of Odessa, or patrons can pick them up and take them home, either precooked or to bake at home.

Lathrop has said that he and Springer have no intention of offering seating or in-store service, as that would entail a different and more involved kind of permit from the health department. He also said that the business may operate seasonally (not in the winter), although he is unsure about that right now.

Lathrop's other local business interest, a car wash for Odessa across the street from the Rolling Thunder/Gallery, is also progressing. Electric power is now available at the site, and the small storage building located there houses some of the items he wants to install as part of a late-night convenience store associated with the car wash.

There will be more information next week on the upcoming events of Spring Fling and Lathrop's plans for a car/bike show that same weekend.