We finally tried the pizza at Zanzi’s at Blazer Plaza on 13th Street in Ashland and it quickly became apparent why the place always has a crowd of customers. When I say “crowd,” I don’t mean a bunch of people waiting and waiting for their food. The Zanzi’s staff have the “pizza to go” part of their business down to a science.

My visit went exactly as I had been told it would by several Zanzi’s fans, “Order your food. They’ll tell you it will be about 10 minutes and they’ll have it ready in about five minutes or less. If you’re waiting in your car, they’ll bring it out to you.”

I ordered the large rendition of their thin crust pizza with pepperoni and sausage. I’ll admit the Zanzi’s slicing method caught me a little off guard, but we both liked it. The toppings were especially tasty and the sausage didn’t give either of us any hint of grumbling tummy. And, the price was right.

Unless you’re craving a truly unusual combination of ingredients, there’s not much reason to call ahead for a Zanzi’s pizza (there’s actually a sign at their drive-thru encouraging customers to call from there).

If you want to shave a few seconds off of the process, go for something strange or place a large order, however, give them a call at (606) 324-1400.

In the same plaza

If you can find Zanzi’s, you’ll have no trouble locating the new State Beauty Supply store, on the other end of Blazer Plaza. Store manager Leeann Noble explained the business has been in Ashland for a dozen years, and will move to the new location with two to three weeks.

“We’ve been here all along,” Noble said when I asked her about the “new” business, explaining they are moving to Blazer Plaza from 1511 13th St. The target date for the new shop opening is Feb. 22, Noble said, and extended hours will begin in March to help accommodate the often unpredictable schedules of local salon owners, stylists and others in the beauty business.

State Beauty Supply does business with “licensed professionals only,” and Noble advises they have an excellent series of educational events in the weeks ahead. For more information, visit www.statebeautysupplylex.com or call (606) 324-4801.

And ...

Sources tell me Blazer Plaza will continue to grow soon with the addition of Kinetic Health, a business specializing in medical and home-health supplies.

Old movies

There’s just something special about seeing a good movie on a big screen in a theater. Even though I had pen and notebook in action, we recently enjoyed seeing “Gone With the Wind” at the Paramount Arts Center.

I had to chuckle during a preview for their next Second Sunday film, “Sixteen Candles” (today at 4 p.m. for $4) when a lady seated behind us said, “Well I don’t think I’ll want to see that!” in response to an iconic moment in the movie when the would-be-hero dramatically displays a pair of panties to a wide-eyed gang of young guys.

The crew at the Paramount have also promised “a little preshow surprise you won’t want to miss,” as part of today’s event.

A local television station also recently reported the Cinema Theater in Huntington is doing well with their “Flashback Mondays,” offering a classic film for $5.

In a time when many of us have high-quality home electronics for our entertainment purposes, and popcorn available at the push of a button, it may seem a little unusual to find people are more than willing to pay for the chance to sit with strangers to see something they could easily rent and enjoy at home. My personal theory is those old movies are enhanced by the audience as much as the environment, and perhaps, the lack of any form of a remote control to pause the play “just when it’s getting good.”

Zumba growth

I like a local success story, and a group of local Zumba enthusiasts are meeting that definition in Flatwoods at Zumba @ Tri-State Annex, 1305 Argillite Road (the former auto dealership where Tri-State Lawn Care is now).

As I heard the story, local teacher Abby Francis started teaching Zumba at a Russell school gymnasium and the program became so successful, she teamed up with three other Zumba instructors and went into business. In addition to Francis, instructors are Kelley Wheeler, Jalina Wheeler, Lisa Waskey and Jenny Hogg.

My informant (who loves these people) says evening classes can average more than 40 per session. They offer classes for beginners and Zumbatomic classes for children as well as sessions geared for more accomplished Zumba students. A quick glance at their schedule reveals classes are available from morning to early evening seven days a week. For more information, call (606) 923-2574.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.