From Door-to-Door Dough to Des Moines Legend
Key Takeaways
- NorthernLights Pizza began after two failed attempts, showing resilience and determination
- The company started with a $3,000 loan and door-to-door pizza sales
- Kerry Petersen has been in the pizza business since 1978
- The business is built on a partnership between Kerry and his wife Sandy
- Quality is driven by three essentials: crust, sauce, and cheese
- Growth came through years of hard work, learning, and system development
- The company emphasizes real ingredients without unnecessary additives
If you’ve ever wondered who is NorthernLights Pizza Des Moines, grab a slice and settle in—because this story is baked with grit, long hours, and a whole lot of Midwestern determination.
Humble Beginnings (With a Side of Guts)
The story of NorthernLights Pizza doesn’t start with instant success. In fact, it starts with failure—twice. Before building what would become a recognized name in Des Moines, Kerry Petersen had already experienced two unsuccessful pizza ventures. That kind of setback would stop most people, but instead of walking away, he doubled down.
With just $3,000—money he had to borrow—Kerry set out to try again. Starting over wasn’t easy. He wasn’t just beginning from scratch; he was beginning from behind. Still, he believed he could make a better pizza than what was out there, and that belief pushed him forward.
Rather than opening big or waiting for customers to come to him, Kerry took a more direct approach. He sold pizzas door-to-door. It was hands-on, personal, and required persistence. Every sale came from effort, not convenience.
Those early years demanded everything he had. He worked from around nine in the morning until two in the morning, seven days a week. This wasn’t a short sprint—it was a five-year stretch of long days and even longer nights. That kind of schedule isn’t sustainable for most people, but for Kerry, it was what it took to get the business off the ground.
A Life Built Around Pizza
Pizza wasn’t something Kerry stumbled into later in life—it had been part of his world for decades. He had been in the pizza business since 1978, long before NorthernLights Pizza was even an idea. By the time he met his wife Sandy in 1986, pizza was already central to his life.
Their relationship and their business became intertwined. As Kerry put it, their entire married life has been about pizza. Sandy didn’t start out in the industry, but she joined him along the way and developed the same drive and commitment. Together, they built something that neither of them could have done alone.
Kerry is clear about one thing: NorthernLights Pizza wouldn’t exist in its current form without Sandy. It’s a partnership in every sense, with both of them contributing to the growth and day-to-day operation of the company.
What “Pizza Perfection” Really Means
NorthernLights Pizza operates under the idea of being on a “passionate pursuit of pizza perfection.” For Kerry, perfection doesn’t mean chasing trends or trying to please everyone. It means making each pizza as good as it can possibly be based on what he knows and believes makes great food.
He also acknowledges something important—taste is personal. What one person considers the best pizza might not be the same for someone else. People grow up with different flavors and expectations, and that shapes their preferences.
Instead of trying to match every opinion, Kerry focuses on making the best pizza he knows how to make using the best ingredients available. That approach keeps the focus on quality rather than comparison.
The Foundation: Crust, Sauce, and Cheese
At the core of NorthernLights Pizza is a simple philosophy: if you can’t make a great basic pizza, nothing else matters. According to Kerry, everything starts with three key components—crust, sauce, and cheese.
The crust is the foundation. Kerry spent years as a baker and developed a recipe based on homemade Italian bread. That recipe became the base for the pizza, giving it a distinct texture and flavor that sets it apart.
The sauce is equally important. It’s made using specific types of tomatoes and real Italian spices, without added sugar or chemicals. The goal is to keep it simple and natural while still delivering strong flavor.
Then there’s the cheese. NorthernLights Pizza uses a blend of whole milk mozzarella and provolone sourced from a single farmer’s co-op in Wisconsin. In a blind taste test against a well-known competitor, every participant—including representatives from that competitor—chose NorthernLights Pizza’s cheese. It’s more expensive, but for Kerry, quality outweighs cost.
Together, these three elements form the base of every pizza. Toppings can vary, but without a strong foundation, none of it works.
Growth Through Hard Work and Learning
NorthernLights Pizza officially began in 1995 with a single location. From there, growth didn’t happen overnight. It came through years of effort, experimentation, and adjustment.
By 1997, a second location opened. Over time, additional stores followed in places like Urbandale, West Des Moines, the south side, and Grimes. Not every location lasted—some came and went—but each experience contributed to a better understanding of how to grow the business.
As the company expanded, one of the biggest challenges became consistency. In the early days, Kerry made every pizza himself, which meant he controlled every detail. As the business grew, that level of control wasn’t possible anymore.
To address that, NorthernLights Pizza invested in training systems and processes to ensure that every location could produce the same quality product. Consistency became just as important as the ingredients themselves.
Today, the company operates around twenty locations, along with additional spots inside convenience stores. What started as a one-person operation has grown into a business that supports many families across the region.
A Commitment to Real Food
One of the defining principles of NorthernLights Pizza is its focus on real ingredients. Kerry emphasizes that the food is made without unnecessary chemicals or artificial additions. The goal is to keep everything as natural as possible.
This approach extends to every part of the menu—from fresh vegetables to quality meats like Graziano’s sausage. The idea is simple: use ingredients that people recognize and trust.
For Kerry, this isn’t just about quality—it’s about responsibility. His own kids grew up eating this pizza, and now his grandkids do too. That personal connection reinforces the importance of maintaining high standards.
He believes that if the food is good enough for his family, it’s good enough for everyone else.
FAQs
What makes NorthernLights Pizza different?
The focus is on doing the basics well—strong crust, natural sauce, and high-quality cheese—while using real ingredients without unnecessary additives.
How did NorthernLights Pizza start?
It started with Kerry Petersen borrowing $3,000 and selling pizzas door-to-door after two previous business failures.
Is NorthernLights Pizza family-owned?
Yes. Kerry and Sandy Petersen built the business together and continue to be involved in its operations.
What is the philosophy behind the pizza?
The goal is to make each pizza as good as possible using the best ingredients available, rather than trying to match every individual preference.
How many locations does NorthernLights Pizza have?
There are around twenty locations, along with additional convenience store locations.
So next time someone asks who is NorthernLights Pizza Des Moines, you can tell them it’s a company built on persistence, experience, and a commitment to doing things the right way from the ground up.
Because at its core, it’s not just about making pizza—it’s about making it as well as it can be, every single time.
