OSHKOSH, Wis. — Early on Steve Lawler knew the pizza business was for him.

What You Need To Know

  • Red’s Pizza & Catering is closing Sunday, Sept. 26

  • The inability to find employees played a part in the decision

  • Owner Steve Lawler said he’s trying to sell the pizza business​

  • Red's Pizza & Catering has been operating for more than 60 years

He made is first pizza for a paying customer at 14.

“I always kind of knew from when I was little on I was going to be in the pizza business,” Lawler said. “My dad had started the pizza restaurant in 1957 and I kind of grew up in the business and fell in love with it.”

He and the family have kept Red’s Pizza & Catering operating all these decades.

But Lawler’s advancing age - he’s 68 - and with trouble hiring enough staff, he made the difficult decision to close the restaurant this Sunday.

“I going to miss my customers the most. I got to know a lot of the people,” Lawler said. “A lot of the families come in and now … the kids are grown up, the grandkids are grown up. I’ve seen three generations of families coming in here eating pizza.”

Lawler and his sisters — along with 19 employees and some past employees — are working through the final days of Red’s.

They’re still making pizza.

Mary Leichtfuss has worked at Red’s for nine years and knows what she’ll miss most.

“Everyone here is kind of like a family,” she said as she prepared a pizza. “After a while you get to know everyone, then they’re not just your coworkers. Even if you’re not part of the Red’s family, it feels like that.”

A wall of autographed photos greets customers as they enter. They’re the acts Red’s has helped feed during stops in Northeast Wisconsin at places like Country USA and Rock USA.

Sawyer Brown. Johnny Cash. The Oak Ridge Boys.

Steve’s sister, Pam Meyer, points out the acts — telling brief stories about many of them.

“Stevie, this has been his whole life. So that’s going to be — I’m sorry — that’s going to be hard on him,” she said, holding back tears. “On one hand I’m happy and the other hand I’m sad.”

The catering business will operate a few more months and Lawler says the pizza business may find a buyer.

One thing in the past 60 some years stands above the others.

“Probably working with my dad. He taught me a lot a lot about the business and he was a very good father,” Lawler said. “He taught me a good work ethic.”