Father and Daughter Business Owners Bring Pizza and Live Music to Worthington

Charlie Jackson and his daughter, Natalie, talked about starting a business together for years. The off-and-on discussion never got serious, however, until Natalie moved to New York City and developed a love for coal-fired pizza. That's when she suggested combining her idea for pizza cooked in a high-temperature oven with her father's experience putting together music acts, something he'd done at various Central Ohio venues during Natalie's growing years. After conducting extensive research, creating a business plan, raising money and hiring a chef, the father-daughter team opened Natalie's Coal-Fired Pizza and Live Music at 5601 N. High Street in Worthington.

Six months later, the venue, with its intimate setting and Old World-style New York pizza, features live music on most nights. Local and national bands play a variety of Americana-style music, from folk and singer/songwriter to jazz, blues, Irish and other traditional styles. Natalie runs the day-to-day operations of the business, while her father oversees the sound and lighting systems and schedules the music acts.

Natalie's features a simple menu of New York-style pizza using fresh ingredients and cooked in a high-temperature, coal-fired oven. At the bar, classic drinks are made with freshly-squeezed juices, along with wines, and beer from some of the best local and regional microbreweries. "We take this seriously," Charlie said. "If you are going to do something, do it the best you can. We try to keep it classic, timeless and good." A specially designed stage features high-quality sound, lights and video, ensuring that all guests enjoy a good view of the entertainment. "We created a comfortable environment with a nice energy and feeling," Charlie said.

In addition to the current music acts, Natalie's will also be introducing a film series in the near future. For more information about upcoming shows and to check out the menu, visit www.nataliescoalfiredpizza.com.