Brittany Sage has a great last name because the seasoned pizzeria owner seems wise beyond her 30 years.

Sage owns and operates Vinni’s Pizza in Stratford, Ont., and she has an interesting history with this longtime Stratford Mall pizza spot in the town known for Shakespearean theatre and as the birthplace of pop star Justin Bieber. 

“We’re the oldest store in the mall and we’re actually the oldest pizza place in Stratford,” Sage says in a conversation with Canadian Pizza in July. “Vinni’s has been open for 32 years and I’ve owned it for the last nine years.”

Working at Vinni’s was Sage’s first job at age 15. Five years later at age 20, after owner Deb Seigner was ready to retire, Sage took a risk and bought the business. She’d been out of high school for two years and in search of a career. 

It’s hard to start any business but for someone so young to do it is unusual. Sage recently received recognition in the form of a Canadian Global Award as one of the top 20 outstanding businesses among 1,500 worldwide by the publication Humble Beginning Stories. 

“It did give me a boost,” she says. “I’ve come a long way and sometimes I don’t think I give myself enough credit. It was really nice to be recognized on that scale. Sometimes you just need to step back and think of the things you’ve overcome.”

Many times Sage felt the urge to give up. “We all go through that and have those type of emotions and feelings,” she reflects. “The pandemic did a huge number on my business. I got the $60K loan from the government, but with everything being closed and still having to pay rent and all the utilities and the bills that come with that, COVID ended up putting my business $100,000 in debt. I don’t think people understand how long it takes to bounce back.”

“The mall is just not as busy as it used to be,” she says. “You don’t see the same volumes of people coming out, and with the cost of living being so expensive, a lot of people don’t have the extra money right now to be spending.”

Community support

Yet, she doesn’t feel alone. She is encouraged by moral support from her former employer, who is always ready with advice, and many regular customers keen to support the business. “Not only have I been able to watch my community grow up and families have children, but my community has also watched me grow up. I’m just very thankful to have a full community of so much support.”

Sage recently was compelled to raise prices on her menu. “Most people are very understanding,” she says. “It was long overdue. I have bills to pay.”

Vinni’s features a red-and-white-checked 1950s look and Sage makes pizzas using a conveyor oven. The menu includes taco-style pizza, pulled-pork pizza and her signature heart-shaped pizza.

She also sells a popular taco salad, lasagna, soups, wraps, milkshakes and more.

Handmade dough cost-effective

The crust, on the thinner side, is fluffy yet crunchy. “It’s not a pizza you’re going to get stuffed on,” Sage says, adding that she makes the pizza dough fresh by hand every day.

When Sage assumed ownership, the dough was brought in by a supplier. When they lost their dough supplier, she decided to make the dough by hand every day. “It’s a lot more work, but it’s more cost-effective, and our customers love the quality and freshness,” she says. “It’s definitely worth it.”

She is grateful to former owner Seigner for encouraging and mentoring her. “I wanted to be the type of boss she was to me. She’s the sweetest, kindest person. Such a calm, peaceful, loving woman to work for.”

She had five employees before the pandemic. However, since May 2024 the entrepreneur has been holding down the fort on her own every day – 11-8 most days – and delivers through Skip the Dishes as she pays off the COVID loan. 

She has occasional, strong support from Evelyn Wagler, who has worked at Vinni’s for about two decades. “We worked together for the former owner,” Sage says. “Then I became her boss, which is weird.”

People she deals with daily have been surprised by her young age in such a responsible role. “When I first took over at 20, so many people, the people who knew my age, were shocked and supportive,” Sage says. Others thought she was older but looked young for her age. People assumed older employees were the boss. “We had a chuckle,” she says.

Sage says a lot of people doubted her ability to overcome the challenges of ownership. “I gave up my 20s for this place, and not just my 20s, but a lot of things. I didn’t grow up partying and, you know, hanging out with my friends. I didn’t have the normal experiences because I had a huge responsibility on my hands and that was always my main focus and my priority.”

When she was very young, she imagined being a singer or guitarist – talents she cultivates – but she also could see herself in a leadership position. “The only thing that matters is that you believe in yourself and know what you’re capable of.”

Before buying the business, she told herself that it would be a commitment of only five years and that she could move on if she wanted to. “I remember the constant anxiety. Just taking that huge step . . . but I never doubted it. I knew it would be great for me. That anxiety went away a few months after becoming owner. I was too busy to be anxious.”

“Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

‘It puts the fire up under you’

Sage told very few people about this life move because she believed some family members might talk her out of it. “I didn’t want any negativity, so I was going to have the blinders on, and no one would talk me out of it.”

She lived with her aunt and grandfather, who co-signed to help her get a business loan. She paid off the five-year loan in a year-and-a-half.

She finally told her parents on the day she took over ownership. “It felt really great,” she says. “They were surprised. I thought, ‘I know you doubt me, but I’m going to prove you wrong. I’m going to be successful at this. I put my heart and soul into it, and you’re going to watch me be successful at something I love doing.”

“Not everyone is supportive and sometimes I think that that actually drives us more to be able to prove the doubters wrong. It puts that fire up under you.”

Sage says inner strength has helped her weather the challenges. “It’s not necessarily about the physical but it’s a mental game. It’s the same thing at the gym. When you put your mind to something, you’re capable of more than you think you are.”