Pizzas coming out of the oven at Topp's Pizza in Tyler, Texas, on Friday, March 1, 2019. (Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

After working at a popular pizza chain for 14 years, and managing three store locations, a period of misfortune led Denise Sanders, of Tyler, to start her own business. 

First, Sanders said her job responsibilities dwindled and she became the manager of only one store, which involved a pay cut.

“It just motivated me,” she said. “I could have stayed there or I could go open up my own.”

But that wouldn’t be simple. Sanders said she was turned down when she tried to purchase an existing business.

Taking the skills she learned from managing three eateries, and the nickname Topp that her grandfather gave her when she was a baby, Sanders opened Topp’s Pizza at 3101 Shiloh Road in July of last year.

The business serves various pizzas with both traditional and specialty toppings, with items such as chicken wings and garlic bread also on the menu.

Sanders said the meat lovers pizza — topped with beef, peperoni, Italian sausage, ham and bacon, and chicken Alfredo — topped with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, bacon and Alfredo sauce, are customer favorites. Pizzas can also be ordered half-and-half.

As the owner of a growing business, Sanders tries to remain flexible. 

“If I have the ingredients, I make it,” she said, adding that she’s made everything from buffalo chicken pizza to Keto pizza because of customer requests. 

Specialty pizzas range from $9.99 to $11.99, large one-topping pizzas are $7.99 and small one-topping pizzas are $4.99.

“I take my time with every pizza,” she said. “I want to make sure every pizza is correct the first time because I love what I do and I feel there’s a difference when you love what you do versus just going to work.”

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Topp’s Pizza, located at 3101 Shiloh Rd., offers a variety of traditional and specialty pizzas. The business is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. To learn more about delivery services, call the business at 903-258-6111.