Meet the Owner: The Gourmet Pizza Company

Kristina Lima has always worked in the pizza business.

From her first job at Lenny and Vinny's on Howard Avenue to creating her own successful brand of pies just a few blocks away, Lima has stuck with the business she started in as a young adult for one reason: she loves it.

"I love the business, the food and the creativity that goes along with it," Lima says. "I love creating something new and for me it's been about staying true to what we do best. We don't try to branch out and do much as far as pasta or subs, wings and fries. We just keep our pizza top notch."

610 South Armenia Avenue

(813) 258-1999

Specialty: "We do a lot of vegan stuff. We have vegan dough and cheese because we want everyone to be able to eat here. A lot of people use eggs in their dough or honey to sweeten it. We don't do anything like that. We just use top notch ingredients to make it taste good," Lima said.

History: Gourmet Pizza is in its fourteenth year in business at is current location on Armenia Avenue, just one block west of the South Howard scene. In that time, the customer base they've built up has been consistent and loyal beyond Lima's expectations. "The people have been great. I like that it's kind of a little community within itself and we've watched it grow. When we came into this spot, there was nothing on this corner and now you see all kinds of development going on," Lima said.

From local roots: The 37-year old Lima is a graduate of Tampa Prep and grew up in the South Tampa area. She has been pleased to stay in the area where her idea of fresh ingredients on tastefully flavored, health conscious pies has been well received.

Popular menu items: "The Chicken Smoked Gouda is very popular and our BLT with a balsamic glaze on it is a big hit," Lima said.

Price: The pizza at Gourmet Pizza Company is priced fairly based on size, with specialty pizzas ranging in price from $8.95 for a small to $18.95 for a 16-inch pie.