Red Banjo Pizza
Photography: Jill Orschel
Forty-four years ago, Mary Lou and Pete Toly purchased the Park Tavern and made it their own by changing the name to the Red Banjo Saloon. This local watering hole came complete with spittoons in every corner and a partition that kept the ladies segregated on one side of the room in booths while the men sat at the bar near the liquor. “Back then, only floosies were at the bars,” says Mary Lou Toly. “Respectable ladies didn’t go.”
Launching into the restaurant world was an adventure for the Tolys, and they had no idea how successful their dining destination would become over the years. “I was only 23 years old when we bought this place, and I didn’t know what I was getting into!” says Mary Lou.
After managing the saloon for seven years, the Tolys changed the name and feel of the business to the Red Banjo Pizza Parlor in order to keep their children closer to them at a family-friendly location. Mary Lou and her husband eventually parted ways, and Mary Lou began managing the restaurant on her own in 1977.
Local customers have eaten hundreds of slices of pizza pie at Red Banjo, and in the process, have discovered their favorites. Through a series of disasters and successes in the kitchen over the years, Red Banjo pizza chefs have found a way to toss some of the tastiest pizzas in town. “Our best seller is the Red Banjo Special. It has eight toppings, and customers order it all the time,” says Mary Lou.
Faithful locals flock to Red Banjo for a slice and a chat session with veteran employees. “Some of them have been coming in since we opened,” explains Mary Lou. “There are many regular customers who have been faithful for years.” There have also been many employees who have touched Mary Lou’s heart. “Susie Williams was our first bartender, and now she comes in as a customer,” Mary Lou explains. “She and one other fellow [organized] a $100 [pool] for the World Series back in the 1960s,” she says. “A few years ago Susie had it framed and brought it to me. It is one of my prized possessions.”
Family Connections
This family business has been a gathering place for loved ones from the beginning. Scott Toly began washing dishes in the Red Banjo kitchen when he was a kid and has been working there full time for 25 years. “This place has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember,” explains Mary Lou’s oldest son. As a child, he spent time listening to live music and eating oven-hot pizza. During his teenage years, he brought dates to Red Banjo and hung out after school with his buddies. “I grew up here, brought my kids in when they were little, and then they started school and brought their friends here after school to hang out just like I used to.” His children are adults now, but they have started bringing their own little ones into Red Banjo to enjoy the camaraderie and family-friendly setting.
All of the Toly family members, including Scott’s siblings Roxanne and Steven, have worked at Red Banjo. “All of us have worked here on and off over the years and my kids too, at one time or another, says Scott.”
Celebrity Appeal
Being in business for so long, the Toly family has welcomed their share of celebrities to the parlor over the years. When Jane Fonda was marketing her famous fitness videos, she found her way into Red Banjo during a visit to Park City. She and her son shared a pepperoni pizza and enjoyed it enough that she picked up another pizza the following evening. “I knew our pizza was a hit with her when she came back for more the next night,” says Mary Lou. “I remember thinking that if I could sell Jane Fonda a pepperoni pizza, I was doing pretty good!”
Another celebrity known for sharing his opinions is film critic Roger Ebert. “Every year during the [Sundance] Film Festival, he comes in for our pizza. Each time he tells me that he gives our pizza a thumbs up,” Mary Lou says.
There were two celebrities who came in that made a positive impression on Scott Toly.
One afternoon when the Red Banjo was jammed with customers, Scott stepped out of the kitchen to wait tables.
“I got to wait on Jennifer Aniston one day right when [the TV program] “Friends” was starting and before she was with Brad Pitt,” recounts Scott. “She was really nice and friendly with the people in here, and a lot of the young girls recognized her, and she gave out autographs.”
“Tom Hanks came in once, too,” says Scott. “Everybody was pretty good with him, and they weren’t bugging him or anything,” Scott explains. “He had a hat on, and it was hard to tell who he was, but after a while everyone figured it out.”
Final Words
In its 44 years on Main Street, Red Banjo has touched enough lives that its presence adds a rich and colorful layer to the friendly feel of this old mining town. Craving a hearty meal and a smile from a local who really loves this town? March into Red Banjo, take a seat, and enjoy a real bite of Park City history.
Local C.J. Johnson is enthusiastic about life in Park City, spending time with her family and eating pizza.
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