ST. LOUIS – When hockey legend Wayne Gretzky flies out of St. Louis with an appetite for pepperoni pizza, there’s only one place he calls: Schottzie’s Bar and Grill, a south county restaurant with a long-standing connection to The Great One.
Schottzie’s has fulfilled several special orders for Gretzky for more than two decades, though they began after his brief stint with the St. Louis Blues in 1996.
Gretzky retired from his storied NHL career after the 1998-99 season. The following year, he found himself gearing up for a family Super Bowl party. The then-St. Louis Rams made it to the championship, and the Gretzky family wanted a local culinary touch to their Super Bowl experience.
“At the time was living in California, and he called up here and wanted us,” said Schottzie’s owner Mike Carlson in a phone call with FOX 2. “We shipped like six, seven or eight pizzas to Hollywood to his residence in dry ice. That whole story made the news.”
Carlson said his father was leading restaurant operations with a friend at the time. He still has newspaper copies of a story on the wall of his restaurant highlighting the unforgettable pizza order.
Gretzky’s wife, Janet Jones, grew up in the St. Louis area and visited Schottzie’s frequently over the years, even before Gretzky’s time with the Blues. Schottzie’s also prepared a similar cross-state pizza order for the Gretzky family when the St. Louis Cardinals made the World Series in 2004.
“Since then, basically, we would get to-go orders, and whoever would come in and pick up to-go orders would say, ‘Oh, this is going to the Gretzky’s,'” said Carlson.
It wasn’t until last year that some procedures for completing the orders changed, allowing Carlson to enjoy a more personalized connection with Gretzky. When asked, Carlson now delivers to private airports in the St. Louis area before Gretzky departs for his next destination.
Last weekend, Carlson and his staff members completed an order of pepperoni pizzas, deli sandwiches and tuna salad before Gretzky took off on his private jet. The two even enjoyed a brief conversation about hockey and life, along with a selfie. “It’s always a pleasure!,” Carlson shared of his experience via Facebook.
“Wayne is one of the nicest guys,” said Carlson. “I went and bought a jersey, and got an autograph to hang it up in the restaurant. He never denies a picture. Every time we go, he makes sure we see Janet.”
Carlson said that Gretzky also once invited him inside his private jet to hand-deliver his food order.
“I told him, next time he pulls me on [the plane], I’m not going to want to get off,” said Carlson in good fun.
An agent who helps with arranging the orders told Carlson, “Wayne likes two things when he flies. Doesn’t matter if it’s 10 a.m. or 10 p.m. When he flies, he wants pizza and Heineken.” The plain pepperoni pizza is Gretzky’s go-to order.
Wayne Gretzky occasionally visits St. Louis to take in Blues games and visit family members on Janet’s side. He is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,857 points and a four-time Stanley Cup champion.
Schottzie’s Bar and Grill has served the St. Louis community since 1947 at 11428 Concord Village Avenue, known for St. Louis-styled pizzas, reuben sandwiches and signature bar goods.
