Chris Green
Rockford Register Star
A homemade pizza or a good Philly cheesesteak? Tisha Potter says why choose one when you can have both.
The 42-year-old Rockford native, better known as "The Pizza Lady," makes and sells a variety of made-from-scratch pizzas — including her specialty Philly cheesesteak pizza — right from her home kitchen in Rockford.
In 30 minutes or less, Potter can make you a basic pizza with cheese, sausage and pepperoni, or she can make you one of several specialty pizzas from the aforementioned Philly cheesesteak to jerk chicken.
Potter, an East High School graduate and a wife and mother of two adult daughters, is a former Amazon employee, who after much encouragement from family and friends started making and selling pizzas from her home in December 2021.
"They were like, 'You should try it. You'll get good reviews,'" Potter said.
They were right.
"I'm picky," said Brandi Gray of Rockford. "I like chicken, cheese, sausage, and pepperoni. No onion, no peppers. ... It's so good."
Gray also likes the Pizza Lady's heaping homemade salads.
"My son is a grown man," Gray said. "He tried the salad, and it filled him up. We had to rest after we ate."
All of Potter's pizzas are topped with fresh vegetables and meats, but what separates a Pizza Lady pizza from the competition is Potter's personal touch.
"I season everything to my liking," she said. "A lot of pizza places just open up a can of tomato sauce or pizza sauce and put it right on the pizza. I open that same can up, and then I add additional seasonings and herbs."
Potter said she makes most of her pizzas in her home, but will use the Indoor City Market kitchen when she receives large orders.
Pizza Lady pizzas are sold in two sizes: a 14-inch (starting at $20) and 16-inch. Specialty pizzas range in price from $35 to $45.
There are breakfast pizzas, too, made by Potter's daughter, Serenity.
Potter said she's certified to sell food from her home, but she dreams of having her own food truck some day.
To order a pizza, visit The Pizza Lady on Facebook, email her at 815PIZZALADY@gmail.com or call 779-770-9277.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
