WINONA, Minn. – The largest pizzeria in town opens a week from Monday – a franchise of the Iowa-based buffet-style Pizza Ranch chain.  Owner Tim Beier, scion of the Beier restauranteur family, has had staff in training several days . The opening is expected to reshape options for West End dining:

> Winona’s Family Restaurant. 1611 West Service Drive. Formerly the Beier-owned Country Kitchen. Has benefitted as the dominant all-day, sit-down, table-service restaurant on the West End since Beier closed its Ground Round in 2022.

> Pizza Hut. 1630 West Service Drive. Without table service since 2022, Pizza Hut now faces new challenges from the larger-scale and flashier Pizza Ranch.

> KFC. 1558 West Service Drive. With chicken a Pizza Ranch specialty, KFC is no longer the only game in town on the West End. Drive-through service, however, remains a KFC advantage for a slice of the market.

Earlier:  Dining out: Our Galloping Gourmands at Pizza Ranch

Earlier: The Great Winona Pizza Tease

Earlier: Ground Round morphs into kids-oriented pizza place

Earlier: Ground Round make-over: Pizza, chicken, salad buffet

Staff in training. Kitchen rebuilt. New furnishings installed. Image: Steve Lunde