Combined, Rob Bernhard and his wife Maria spent about 35 years working for corporate America.

Then their employers downsized and the couple lost their jobs.

Rather than looking for new positions, which probably would have required them to relocate, the Bernhards decided to take a risk, stay in York County and start a new venture.

Recently, they opened Zia Maria's Pizzeria, located in a former Rutter's convenience store on South George Street in York Township.

The newly renovated 12,000-square-feet restaurant has about eight employees and capacity for more than 30 people.

Running the restaurant takes a lot of hard work, but is rewarding, Rob Bernhard said.

"There's stress, but it's . . . a fun stress," he said while comparing his former job in the human relations field to owning Zia Maria's. "It's our business . . . This just isn't a typical pizza joint."

Zia Maria's offers a variety of traditional Italian meals including a white pizza made with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, broccoli, garlic and tomatoes and Zia Maria's Special topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, green peppers, black olives, bacon, onions and ground beef.

The Bernhards, who have been married 25 years, live in Springettsbury Township and have two kids in college, make their own sauces, bread and pizza dough.

"The sauce . . . it's what I grew up on," Maria Bernhard said of learning to cook from her mom, Nina Falci, a native of Sicily who now lives in

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York County. "It's all family recipes . . . I cooked like this at home with our kids."

While eating lunch at Zia Maria's recently, Trisha Huber and her husband, Jack, said they were delighted -- especially in this economy -- to discover in their backyard the new small business flavored with old-world style.

It's nice to support a mom-and-pop establishment, said the Hubers. But there's another reason the couple are regulars at the eatery.

"I love their (New York style) pizza," Trisha Huber said. "It's one of the best I've ever had."

ABOUT ZIA MARIA'S

Zia Maria's Pizzeria, 2509 South George Street, York Township, is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The eat-in, carry-out restaurant offers traditional, homemade Italian dishes including:

--- More than 40 hot and cold sandwiches

--- Italian dinner specials and vegetarian stromboli

--- The menu also includes children's meals, several side orders, salads and desserts including cannoli.

To learn more, call 741-0566.