Louie's Pizza & Italian Restaurant

Louie's Restaurant was born out of necessity in 1965. It wasn't so much that Ketchum-Sun Valley needed another restaurant. Louie Mallane, the founder and proprietor, used his Italian heritage and previous restaurant experience to fill the pizza niche in this small resort area. Living the American dream of owning your own business Louie opened up Ketchum's first Italian Restaurant. With a bank loan of $150, he purchased flour, mushrooms, napkins, and a few other necessary items. Then he rented the kitchen of Nedder's Bar and set up shop, making as many as 20 pizzas a day. Within six weeks, Louie had paid off his original loan. Six months later, he moved to expanded quarters in the Sawtooth Club. Louie was his own cook, and hired waitresses. The dining room sat 40 people, but the bar was soon expanded to the dining room. Two and one-half years later Louie's moved to a building which had been the first church in Ketchum. In the ensuing years it had also served as an espresso house and beer garden. After 35 wonderful years of business in the Ketchum-Sun Valley area Louie and his wife Margaret moved to Boise to be with their children and grandchildren. The people and the memories of the Ketchum restaurant have made such a positive impact on Louie and his family, but also touched the lives of many old employees and patrons as well. As the reputation for quality pizzas and Italian food grew Louie has always worked hard to give you, the customer, the best value for your dollar. Always experimenting with new recipes and using the freshest ingredients possible is the commitment Louie's is always giving to quality at a fair price.