'It's the same old Checkers': 25 years later, Middletown pizza shop reopens

MIDDLETOWN – The Checkers Pizza resurrection is nearly complete.

Before the end of this month, owner Dave Haag says Checkers, located at 79 West Main Road, will open for lunch, at 11 a.m. Since its return to Aquidneck Island in November, the once-popular and apparerenty once-again-popular pizza restaurant, featuring key employees from Checkers' first incarnation, has operated daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

''It's the same old Checkers,“ says Haag, who sold his 11 Checkers pizza shops a quarter century ago. ''I have a hoarder mentality. The same old clock on the wall. The old outside sign is on the inside wall, illuminated.“

A then young entrepreneur, Haag founded Checkers in 1985, opening the original store on Jan. 6, 1985, at 659 West Main Road. He grew his business to the 11 stores, 10 scattered about Rhode Island and one in Somerset, Massachusetts.

''Then I took a break. I lost interest,“ Haag, 67, says.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

In 1999-2000, he sold all 11 stores. Most, he says, are still operating under their post-Checkers names.

But while Haag got out of the Checkers Pizza business, Checkers never got out of him.

In 2021, Haag says, he was driving through Middletown and by the business property at 79 West Main Road, which for decades had been home to the bicycle shop Pedal Power. He says he had always wanted that location. Sure enough there was a sign in the store window indicating its availability. He figures it was fate.

Checkers, he decided, would emerge from the grave.

In terms of speed, it certainly was not a Lazarusian resurrection. COVID slowed things down and then almost brought it to a stop, he says, when his mother died from the disease. Haag regrouped, rebounded, and recovered as best he could.

A reunion of former employees

In an almost bizarre twist of fate, Haag not only brought Checkers back to Aquidneck Island, he also brought back three of his old employees – current store manager Mark Janes, Dave Nevitt and Mike Warren. Janes started at Checkers when he was 16.

The Checkers resurrection is turning out to be a long-term reunion. Other former employees, Haag proudly says, have dropped in to reminisce.

Best spots for lobster:Red Lobster closed here decades ago, but you don't have to go far to find lobster in RI

Will Checkers expand again?

Former customers have returned. New customers have discovered Checkers. ''The reaction has been very positive,“ he says. ''We're doing very well. We've got a lot of the older customers who grew up with Checkers. Of course, they were teenagers then.''

Haag is not predicting a repeat growth to 11 stores. Neither does he rule out expansion. For now, Checkers is back on Aquidneck Island.

What's changed at Checkers – and what's remained the same

For those unfamiliar with Checkers, Haag emphasizes that his restaurant is all about – or virtually all about – pizza. No sandwiches. There are salads and chicken wings and other appetizers. But as far as what would be considered entree options, it begins and ends with pizza. Everything, he said, is made fresh. He describes the pizza crust as crispy and chewy.

Checkers is not stuck in the 20th century, however. It's hooked up with delivery services Grubhub and DoorDash and Checkers also does its own delivery. Orders may be placed on apps such as Slice and Toast.

Why is it called Checkers?

Haag says that back in the mid-1980s, he chose the name Checkers because that had a bigger-business sound than, say, Tony's Pizza. ''We wanted a name that sounded like it was bigger than it was,“ he says. ''We wanted the name transferrable. We wanted people to think we must have thousands of restaurants across the country.''

Self-described as ''peculiar'', Haag used creative newspaper ads back in the day and says he might reinstitute that tradition, too. Many still fondly recall his $5, large cheese pizza takeout deal. While that specific deal is no longer economically feasible, Haag says he may come up with some interesting new ideas for ads.

And in the meantime?

''We're having a great time and it's a lot of fun,'' he says.