In the summer of 1953, a young Don Brand moved with his family from their home on Portage Lakes to Canal Fulton, where Don has resided ever since. Raised on the rural outskirts of town, Don, along with his two older brothers, enjoyed many outdoor activities about the family's property--ice skating and fishing on the pond, hiking through the surrounding woodlands, and helping to maintain the large garden. Throughout their upbringing, the Brand boys were also involved in the Presbyterian church and Canal Fulton's Northwest school athletics.
As a young boy, Don enjoyed playing little league baseball, riding his bike 2 miles into town to swim at the community pool, or shoot baskets at the park with the basketball he often strapped to his bike's handlebars. His fun was always earned with hard work, however, as his dad would enlist him to pull weeds and cultivate at least 4 rows of tomatoes, beans, or corn in the family garden before he could go into town.
The work ethic and responsibility that Don was instilled with as a little boy played a strong hand not only in the paths he took growing into a young man, athlete, and Christian, but also each intricate step he made towards owning his own business. While working in the corporate world and attending night school to become a math teacher, the appeal of establishing and building his own business began to intrigue Don more and more. There was a desire to get out from behind a desk, to be active, and to grow something of his own. With Don's final year of college in sight, the dream of business ownership seemed a now-or-never situation and his growing passion to achieve it became a driving force in his pursuit. As Don looked upon his future, he looked to his past and the passions he had in life, one of which happened to be the taste of a great pizza!
As a young boy, Don enjoyed playing little league baseball, riding his bike 2 miles into town to swim at the community pool, or shoot baskets at the park with the basketball he often strapped to his bike's handlebars. His fun was always earned with hard work, however, as his dad would enlist him to pull weeds and cultivate at least 4 rows of tomatoes, beans, or corn in the family garden before he could go into town.
The work ethic and responsibility that Don was instilled with as a little boy played a strong hand not only in the paths he took growing into a young man, athlete, and Christian, but also each intricate step he made towards owning his own business. While working in the corporate world and attending night school to become a math teacher, the appeal of establishing and building his own business began to intrigue Don more and more. There was a desire to get out from behind a desk, to be active, and to grow something of his own. With Don's final year of college in sight, the dream of business ownership seemed a now-or-never situation and his growing passion to achieve it became a driving force in his pursuit. As Don looked upon his future, he looked to his past and the passions he had in life, one of which happened to be the taste of a great pizza!
