Media Coverage
Rick had the opportunity to share about our business, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza, on the national podcast, The Hot Slice.
Thinking Big with a Small Town Pizzeria
The Hot Slice, September 18, 2024 - audio The Hot Slice, September 18, 2024 - video
Voyageur Press
May 21, 2024
Log Home Wood Fired Pizza celebrates 10 years . . .
A&W memories date back 50 years
MCGREGOR, Minn.— McGregor entrepreneurs, Rick and Nancy Herman at Log Home Wood Fired Pizza are celebrating being in business now for 10 years. To kick off the milestone, the couple is offering a number of special promotions and they are also taking a closer look at their location in the old A&W building that dates back to 1972, built by Howard and Delores Templin. The A&W later became Grandma Dee’s, named after Delores.
According to Wendy (Templin) Anderson, Howard and Delores’ daughter, the A&W was quite popular until the recession hit in the early 80s. “We changed to Grandma Dee’s in 1984 and then closed in 1986,” said Wendy who worked at the restaurant for many years. “I remember when McGregor was surrounded by fires and making hundreds of hamburgers and gallons of rootbeer for the fire fighters.”
Wendy also shared that they owned three A&Ws back then. “We owned the Aitkin one from 1979 to 1986 and the other was in Cloquet. My sister ran Cloquet, I ran Aitkin while mom took care of McGregor. My dad went between all three.”
Jeri (Boelter) Anderson worked at the A&W in the 70s as a carhop for four years while attending high school at McGregor and has some fond memories. “I still remember the frosty mugs of rootbeer, the Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger and the Baby Burger,” she recalls. “We also served a pizza burger.”
After looking at an old photo with the Great Root Bear, also called Rooty, Jeri recalled the work attire. “We had to wear the brown corduroy pants, the bright orange shirts and those goofy hats. It was fun though. I really enjoyed working there.”
Jeri also noted that Howard and Delores Templin treated everyone that worked there like family. “It just felt like home after school and sports practices,” recalls Jeri. “Delores and Howie just acted like our parents and treated us like they would their own kids. It was like a family.”
Jeri also recalls how they all came together to get the job done. “We worked hard and couldn’t wait to get out of there, so we could head up to the Shamrock Ballroom where they had live bands. Those were some fun times.”
Fast forward to 2021 and the building would be used again to serve food. Nancy and Rick had been touring around the region for seven years with their mobile wood fired pizza business and they were looking for a home. The couple was thrilled to announce the opening of a Shop in McGregor!
They started with take-out orders on select days and later opened daytime hours on Memorial Day Weekend.
Currently, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza is open for their summer hours: Wednesday and Saturday (4 to 9pm); Thursday & Friday (11am to 9pm) and Sunday (11am to 2pm).
Rick and Nancy have expanded the menu over the years. In addition to ten signature pizzas, they also offer wood fired Baked Chicken Wings, Garlic Braids, the Sasquatch Pretzel and Jalapeño Poppers. They also serve fresh salads to compliment any meal. Stop in on Sundays and Log Home serves up brunch. Try a Breakfast Bagel pizza, Green Eggs & Ham pizza, the Sticky Piggy pizza and/or a Brown Bear sweet treat, along with their full menu.
10 years ago
Looking back, Rick and Nancy have enjoyed an interesting decade serving wood fired pizza in and around the region. They have served locations all over the state of Minnesota with their most popular one being Duluth. “We’ve been going there three to five times a week since 2016,” said Rick. “We are at select breweries, cideries and festivals.”
Their mission is to provide their customers with a distinct food experience and traditional wood fired pizza created with fresh ingredients and artisan craftsmanship. “Connecting with the people on our trail and in our Shop is the favorite part of our journey,” Nancy shared.
Catering pizza to weddings, birthdays and a number of special functions has really grown the business. In fact, one year, they catered 52 events! Rick shared that they have served pizza at a 5-year old’s birthday and they have a 100-year old’s birthday party scheduled this year.
Log Home Wood Fired Pizza has had a presence in two holiday movies and was the official pizza for the Duluth Huskies for about five years. Rick remembers starting out at the farmer’s market in Grand Rapids every Wednesday and Saturday. “It was our core event that got us going,” recalls Rick.
Back in 2014, it appeared as if the business plan was an odd equation for success –– a career educator and a marketing communications professional venturing into the food hospitality business. Rick spent his first career in education – teacher, principal, superintendent – finding his way to the McGregor area as superintendent in 2006, and ending up with a four-year hitch in Wrenshall from 2008-2012. “I always loved to cook,” shared Rick. “Mom always had us in the kitchen,” he continued.
After Rick’s decision to retire from education, Rick and Nancy were enjoying life in their log home in the McGregor area. Avid hunters, Rick built a smokehouse in their yard, and they also harvested maple syrup, but there was still something missing.
Nancy suggested, “You need to find something to do.”
Enticed by his interest in food, Rick looked at, but rejected, investing in a brick-and-mortar restaurant. “The area had enough of those,” he observed. Via research, he discovered portable wood-fired pizza preparation, and off they went to a Fire Within workshop in Boulder, Colorado.
To kick off the 10 year celebration, Rick & Nancy announced “Keepin’ the Fire Burnin’ event” scheduled for Sunday, May 26th. They will have live music by Mike & Jan Cherry (12 to 3pm) and Christian McShane (4 to 7pm). All week long, there will be $1 off pizza specials with the exception of the Mercs 2025 pizza. There will be new merchandise for sale and kids can enjoy a Coloring Contest, a Scavenger Hunt and a Paper Airplane Contest. Sign up for door prizes, including the Grand Prize — a Pizza Party for 10.
The McGregor location is at 242 MN-210 W. They can be reached by calling 218-768-PZZA (7992). Their website is northwoodspizza.com.
Rick had the opportunity to share about our business, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza, at the International Pizza Expo in March 2024. He is featured on the national podcast, The Hot Slice. Catch his interview at about 6:40 in.
The Hot Slice, May 9, 2024 – International Pizza Expo – Pizza Today
Voyageur Press - April 2, 2024
Log Home Wood Fired Pizza launches Read At Home (RAH)
Log Home Wood Fired Pizza’s mission was to get children to love to read! As a former educator, Rick understands that reading is fundamental to a child’s learning and personal growth. The more a child reads, or a family reads together, the more a child’s self-esteem and vocabulary improves. Too many times, Rick witnessed children struggling with learning because their basic understanding of our language and reading is without appropriate references to what each word means. With the onset of more and more handheld games, phones and tablets, reading mechanics have been left up to the devices instead of good old fashioned reading and learning.
In cooperation with the elementary staff, administration and parents of the Cromwell-Wright School and McGregor School, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza’s initiative strived to get the students and families to read together. The program ran from February 1st through February 29th for “I Love To Read” Month.
With the Read At Home initiative, the schools, teachers, administration and Log Home Wood Fired Pizza partnered in hopes of getting children and families back to the basics of learning and enjoying reading together. The program was set up for each child to achieve success and learn to love to read on their own and for their own enjoyment.
For the month of February the schools encouraged the students to read. At the end of the month, the students sheets were collected and tabulated. Every child that reached their monthly goal (with family members or on their own) was awarded with a “Pizza Certificate”.
The total minutes read by the students in the two schools was 58,292. Students and parents are encouraged to redeem their “Pizza Certificate” any time before the end of the 2024 calendar year at Log Home Wood Fired Pizza’s shop in McGregor for a free pizza of their choice.
As of this press release several students from each school have already redeemed their certificate.
KWLM, KOLV, Willmar/Olivia Radio Story - December 15, 2023
Full interview below
Voyageur Press Aitkin Independent Age
December 20, 2023 December 20, 2023
McGregor’s Log Home Wood Fired Pizza “heats up” second holiday movie
By Shari Horton
Rick and Nancy Herman, local owners of the McGregor-based Log Home Wood Fired Pizza business, recently made a public announcement on their Facebook page. “Well, we’ve had to keep this under wraps since May. We and our food truck are in “Rescuing Christmas,” the new Hallmark Movies Now movie! They specially requested us to participate! It was an awesome opportunity and so much fun! Catering their last evening shoot was a blast!”
The Hermans have toured the northland with their mobile family-owned Log Home Wood Fired Pizza business since 2014. The couple also opened their small pizza shop in McGregor in May, 2021, and provide catering services. The Hermans specialize in “northwoods-inspired artisan wood fired pizzas” in their mobile wood fired oven at temperatures up to 900 degrees! Every ingredient in their pizza except for pepperoni and cheeses is made from scratch, including the dough, sauces, meats and garlic oil. The couple frequently operates their food truck seasonally throughout the Duluth area.
Last year, the Hermans were involved in the holiday movie, “Merry Kiss Cam.” The movie’s director, Lisa France, had stopped by for some pizza while filming the romantic comedy in Duluth while the Hermans were operating their food truck at the Bent Paddle in Duluth. France requested they serve their pizza to the cast and crew. The Hermans eagerly accepted and provided food along with hats and t-shirts featuring a fun pizza logo during filming. The business’s banner was seen in the film three times.
This year, the Hermans were contacted about the possibility of participating in another movie being filmed in Duluth by the movie’s art coordinator, Anna Lynne Ellis, who explained she would like to feature the Herman’s brand and food truck during the movie’s winter market scenes.
“Anna also told us we should have as many employees and staff members come to help because they wanted us to portray our food truck fully operational for the backdrop of the market scenes,” explained Rick, “but since the movie was being shot during school hours, we were not able to free up our staff to come be a part of the filming. Our daughter, Jenni, and granddaughter, Esi, joined us for the first two days of shooting as extras. They made it into the movie and have cameo appearances in the crowds!”
The winter market scenes were shot at Bayfront Festival Park. The Hermans showed up the first morning of shooting, got their food truck in place, and it was decorated by the crew. “We immediately started a fire, as we do when we are out and about in the food truck, and the smoke filled the cool air,” noted Rick. “The crew was impressed by our commitment to setting a tone for our participation in the film and the realistic nature of our business.”
The Hermans were on set for three days from May 17-19, 2023. “The days were long and ran into the wee hours of the morning on the first two days of shooting,” stated Rick. “The last day was the wrap at Bayfront, and shooting ended at 3:30 a.m. the morning of the 20th!”
“With it being colder than normal for the third week of May, nobody was overheated in warm winter weather gear; however, some people weren’t dressed warmly enough, but we were plenty warm in the food truck with the oven going,” added Rick. “In fact, the producer of the film, Mandy June Turpin, appreciated the fact we had the oven constantly hot and were able to make pizzas for the cast and crew between scenes.”
The last night of shooting was held at one of the houses where many of the scenes were shot. The Hermans catered the cast and crew's final meal with their wood fired pizzas hot out of the food truck oven. All members were able to order their own individual pizza.
Nancy added being on set allowed them to observe “behind the scenes” how a movie was made. “It was a fascinating experience - from the lights and cameras to set construction, how snow was made and how many takes are made to get a scene “just right” from all angles,” concluded Nancy.
The Hermans attended a special screening of the movie at The Depot in Duluth on Dec. 12 and were able to walk the red carpet and be seated next to producer Mandy June Turpin. “We were so excited to have the Log Home Wood Fired Pizza truck be a part of our Christmas village in ‘Rescuing Christmas!’ exclaimed producer Turpin. “Rick and Nancy were amazing and their pizza is the best!”
“Rescuing Christmas,” a holiday rom-com, tells the story of Erin, played by Rachael Leigh Cook, a Minnesota native, who is granted three Christmas wishes. Her final wish is that Christmas would just disappear, and it does! Can Erin’s potential suitor Sam, played by Sam Page, help Erin bring back Christmas? One will have to watch to find out, and be sure to also look for the holiday-decorated green Log Home Wood Fired Pizza truck throughout the movie!
The movie is currently streaming on https://www.hmnow.com/ and can be watched with a seven-day free trial to Hallmark Movies NOW. The trailer can be viewed at https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/rescuing-christmas/videos/. It will air on the Hallmark Channel in July, 2024.
Voyageur Press - September 19, 2023
Voyageur Press Aitkin Independent Age
December 6, 2022 December 14, 2022
McGregor’s Log Home Wood Fired Pizza caters to celebs
By Shari Horton
Rick and Nancy Herman have toured the northland with their mobile family-owned Log Home Wood Fired Pizza business since 2014. The Hermans serve up “northwoods-inspired artisan wood fired pizzas” in their mobile wood fired oven at temperatures up to 900 degrees! In addition, the Hermans opened a small café in McGregor in May 2021 and provide catering services. Rick noted every ingredient in their pizza is made from scratch, including the dough, sauces, meats and garlic oil. “The only thing we purchase is pepperoni and the cheeses,” explained Rick. They frequently operate their food truck at various Duluth locations.
As luck would have it, when they were at Bent Paddle in Duluth last May, Lisa France, director of a movie being filmed in the area, stopped by for some of their pizza and said, “We should really have your pizza on location,” according to Rick.
France was directing the movie “Merry Kiss Cam,” a romantic comedy filmed in Duluth this past summer featuring such locations as the Fitger’s Complex, Essentia Duluth Heritage Center, Carmody Irish Pub, Lincoln Park and the Radisson Hotel Duluth-Harborview. The film is a Christmas movie now streaming on Hulu. It stars Jesse Bradford ("Bring It On," "California No," "Magnum PI") and Katie Lowes ("Scandal," "Inventing Anna"). It also stars Duluthian Bailey Stender.
Hulu describes the film’s plot as, "When Jess and Danny go on a first date to a hockey game, their team scores a winning goal after their ‘kiss cam’ smooch! Now, Jess and Danny must continue attending the games or risk the wrath of fans who believe their kisses are a good luck charm."
Lily Rains, production coordinator, contacted the Hermans and the date of June 15 was selected for Log Home Wood Fired Pizza to cater their pizza for the cast and crew on the filming set located on Superior Street near Carmody’s.
“We set up and served pizza for two hours,” noted Rick. France’s special request was a Hawaiian pizza, which included tomato sauce, a five-cheese blend, Canadian bacon, pineapple and yellow onion. “We called the special ‘The Lisa,’” explained Nancy. Red pepper flakes were available for those who like a bit more spice. “The show’s leading actor, Jesse Bradford, came back with his wife and daughter two more times for pizza,” said Rick, “and he told us it was the best pizza he had ever had.”
The Hermans provided hats and t-shirts with a fun pizza logo for the crew. The movie’s art director, Cheri Anderson, from Minneapolis, requested a banner from Log Home Wood Fired Pizza to display at the hockey rink filming site. Rick said he had a banner made in less than a day, and it is seen in the film three times.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the Hermans, along with their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, watched the movie together. “We had to watch it a second time,” said Rick, “because the first time we were just looking for our banner. It was such a unique experience to be from small-town McGregor and to be asked to be a presence in a movie.”
Log Home Wood Fired Pizza is located at 242 State Hwy 210, McGregor, and can be contacted at 218-768-7992. Catering inquiries can be directed to 218-591-1881 or by email at info@northwoodspizza.com. The business also has a website, northwoodspizza.com plus FaceBook and Instagram pages.
Voyageur Press
May 25, 2021
MCGREGOR, Minn.—After touring around the region for eight years with a mobile wood fired pizza business, Rick and Nancy Herman can now say they have a home. The couple opened Log Home Wood Fired Pizza in June of 2014. They are thrilled to announce the opening of a Shop in McGregor!
“To start, we will be doing take-out orders only on select days,” said Rick, “We opened this past week and we will be open most of Memorial Day Weekend.” Balance and finding people to work will be the next challenge for the Hermans. They are busy with food truck locations in Duluth, a new location in McGregor and the catering business. “We have a nice crew working at Duluth Cider (Wednesdays) and Bent Paddle (Fridays) in Duluth,” said Rick. “Our daughter Jenni will primarily be working here in McGregor.”
They will also be serving pizza every other Thursday in July and August at the Great Lakes Aquarium.
Rick’s dream of being his own boss began with some online research of a mobile wood fired pizza business called Fire Within. Finally, he and Nancy attended Fire Within’s “Wood Fired University” to learn everything there is to know about operating a successful wood fired pizza business.
The family run business, is dedicated to providing quality, fresh wood fired pizza to the residents of northern Minnesota. “We specialize in creating and offering a variety of delicious, northwoods-inspired artisan pizzas and a memorable dining experience,” explained Nancy.
The couple also announced that they will have a special every week. On Memorial Day Weekend, they will be serving the All American Bacon Cheeseburger and the Rhubarb Crumble artisan pizzas. They will be open 3 to 8pm on Thursday, 11am to 7pm on Friday and Saturday.
The McGregor location is at 242 MN210 W. They can be reached by calling 218-768-PZZA (7992). Their website is northwoodspizza.com.
CHECK OUT SOME POPULAR PIZZA CREATIONS
Evergreen — Garlic Oil, Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, Spinach, Zucchini, Roasted Peppers, Asparagus, Green Onion, Basil, Parmesan Cheese.
Hunter — Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, Pepperoni OR Sausage
In The Woods — Garlic Oil, Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Prosciutto, Parmesan Cheese
Log Cabin — Choice of Sauce (Tomato, Pesto or Garlic Oil), Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, Parmesan Cheese
Smokehouse — BBQ Sauce, Cheddar Cheese, Pulled Pork, Bacon, Green Onion
Rise ‘n Shine — Eggs, Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, Bacon OR Sausage, Green Onion, Garlic Oil
Open Range — Pesto, Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, Spinach, Wild Rice, Chicken, Green Onion, Garlic Oil
Lumberjack — Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella/Provolone & Cheddar Cheese, Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushrooms, Green Onion, Roasted Peppers, Bacon
S’mores Dessert Pizza — Nutella®, Marshmallows, Graham Cracker Crumbs
Sugar Maple Dessert Pizza — Maple Syrup & Mascarpone Spread, Oatmeal Crumble
Minneapolis StarTribune 6/3/2022
Fire Within Featured Fire Master
Duluth News Tribune - 11/4/2020
Whole Foods Co-op - Food Truck Extravaganza - Fox 21 - 9/29-30/2020
Duluth News Tribune - 8/29/2020
Duluth News Tribune - 7/29/2020
Duluth News Tribune - 5/27/2020
WDIO - 8/28/2019 - Proctor Schools
Fox 21 - 8/20/2019 - Duluth Chamber Showcase
Fox 21 - 7/19/2019 - Wild State Cider
WDIO - 8/29/2017 - Proctor Schools
Duluth News Tribune - 7/20/2016
Star Tribune - 6/15/2016
Owatonna People's Press - 10/26/2015
Voyageur Press - 4/14/2015 - full article
Grand Rapids Herald - 6/27/2014
As seen in LakeBride Magazine,
fall/winter 2017-18
full story below
Keeper of the fire
Non-traditional weddings are becoming more common in this age of individuality. “Doing it the way it’s always been done” is not always accepted by those who wish to reflect their own style and what they care about.
Wood fired ovens create a unique experience in the world of cuisine. The flames deep within the wood fired oven catch your attention. The aroma of the burning oak draws you closer. Simple as it may be, the process of baking the pie is not only in the cooking; it is a performance of which families never tire. The intrigue and anticipation makes the fresh-out-of-the-oven moment that much better and wood fired ovens bring flavor forward unlike any other oven.
To create a memorable culinary event that not only you, but your wedding guests, family and friends will never forget, you might want to consider serving wood fired pizza. We bring our mobile wood fired oven on site to your wedding, rehearsal dinner or bachelor/bachelorette party and serve your guests northwoods-inspired artisan pizzas. Our experienced pizzaiolo and his staff are passionate about pizza. That's why every item on the menu is prepared by hand. Fresh ingredients, hand chopped vegetables, roasted peppers, homemade sauces, locally sourced, specially prepared and hand-pulled pork, chicken and our secret ingredient sausage are featured on our diverse menu. The wild rice used is hand-harvested in the northwoods.
Made fresh for your event, our highly-praised dough is hand-rolled and proofed. Lovingly created on site, each pie is hand-stretched and topped to create the perfect thin crust pizza. You can taste the love infused in the homemade tomato, pesto, bbq and roasted garlic oil sauces that begin the pie creation. Right out of our 900º oven, our pizzas are hot and fresh for you and your guests.
To complete the meal, we offer wood fired appetizers, fresh salads with homemade dressings and dessert pizzas. The bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers and prosciutto wrapped asparagus bundles crisp up from the radiant heat of the oven. The light char on the stuffed mushrooms deepens the earthy flavor. Greens grown by local farmers are drizzled with made-from-scratch ranch or Caesar dressings, or homemade pure maple syrup vinaigrette, prepared specially for your event. Fresh mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes are incorporated into our basil pasta salad and caprese skewers.
We embrace the region in which we live. Along with the mobile wood fired oven, the pizzas, appetizers and salads come together in a northwoods presentation which includes our log home-look counter, plus other northwoods decor. We love living up north and everything we do is a reflection of us.
Choosing the right caterer is an important decision in the wedding planning process. You want to be comfortable with the company providing your food. No matter how large or small your event, we can meet your needs. Remember, as with other parts of your wedding, you’ll want to reserve your caterer early to ensure your date is available.
This is your special day, a reflection of you and your individual style. Everyone loves pizza. On site at your wedding location, provide your guests with a flavorful culinary experience they will always remember with a mobile wood fired oven.
Pizzaiolo and keeper of the fire, Rick Herman is the owner of Log Home Wood Fired Pizza. Based out of McGregor, MN, he serves the northland and occasionally throughout the state. 218-591-1881, wedding@northwoodspizza.com, northwoodspizza.com.
