Saylor's Pizza Port in Niles reopens at new location, serving same beloved pizzas

NILES, Mich. -- A beloved family-owned pizza shop in Niles celebrated their Grand Opening Tuesday.

Saylor's Pizza Port has finally reopened more than a year after a suspect being chased by police crashed a car right through the restaurant.

The devastating crash caused a fire and extensive damage beyond repair.

As of Tuesday, Saylor's is in a new home off Grant Street, serving customers for the first time in some 15 months.

Before they could even flip on the 'Open' sign at 2 p.m., longtime customers were already waiting to place their orders.

"I've cried a couple of times at night. Believe me, I'd stayed up at night talking about 'I wish Saylor's was here', dreaming about it," says Gatlin York, a loyal customer of Saylor's.

York and his sister grew up on Saylor's Pizza, and like many other loyal customers, they were devastated about what happened to the original restaurant in 2024.

"They're closed Sundays and Mondays, so I was like craving it all Monday and I woke up Tuesday morning to find out that unfortunately somebody had driven through the building. So, I've been waiting about a year, and I'm finally glad I can get that pizza," says Seth Springer, who walked out Tuesday with the first pizza sold.

For the Saylor family, the crash was about more than just pizza.

"It was hard to see something we had worked at for; it was just shy of 24 years when it happened with us being in business," says Sarah Saylor, who has since passed the business on to her son. "The next day, seeing the building and where our family would have been if it was during open hours... we would've lost everyone so."

She says it was an unexplainable feeling to see the 'Open' sign back on.

"It's been really encouraging to know that we have so much support and help along the way with all of the hiccups in finding a new building, getting it set, getting the equipment," Saylor explains.

The recovery process was long, but the Saylor family wanted to make sure they were fully ready to once again serve the Niles community with the pizza they've grown to love, since 1989.

"We have a higher expectation of ourselves, but we really do appreciate the community spilling out and fulling the dining room and the parking lot and streets to come out and support us," says Saylor.

The community is just as happy to support a local business getting back on its feet.

"We know this family, we know who's making the food, it just makes it better, it makes it taste better," says Kristen York-Houck, a loyal customer of Saylor's.

"I feel like they put their blood and soul into their food, they love it, we love it, everybody loves it," York says.

The Saylor Family expects it to be a very busy weekend ahead with more and more customers learning the news.

Stay up to date and get more information about the new location here.