Jake and Erin Miller are the new owners of what they hope to be the local pizza stop that meant so much to the Au Train area.

“Growing up we would get pizza and pasties, we even rented movies from there,” Erin said. “(The businesses) before were staples of our community.”

The building itself has had many names as owners operated the business and later retired. For the Millers, their newest business operation is called Northwood Outpost. The location will focus on pizza, pasties and ice cream for both locals and tourists alike.

“We wanted to preserve what was already here,” Erin said. “We saw it as a good opportunity to expand and breathe new life into it.”

Known primarily for the Northwoods Resort and kayak rentals, the Millers have experience in the food service industry that they think will transfer over to Northwoods Outpost. Jake served as a regional manager overseeing multiple restaurants for the Buffalo Wild Wings chain in Northwest Indiana and Southeastern Chicagoland. Erin said Jake’s sister Gabrielle will be important to operations also. She has received local praise for her work with installing many of the local food integration programs in the Superior Central lunchrooms.

The Millers are also adding renovations to the former Zaf’s Party Store in an attempt to make it their own without disrupting the experience. With a rustic outdoor look and wood paneling on the inside, the building has a similar style to a number of buildings at the Northwoods Resort. The counter has shifted to face customers coming into the store while still leaving the ice cream station off to the right. Deals of pizza by the slice, breadsticks and pasties are available with a fully- certified kitchen.

According to Erin, the community can get comfortable with the location, as almost all of the changes have already been implemented. A beer and wine license might be added later, but the Millers are excited to see their neighbors in a new way.

“I think it’s really enjoyable to see such a larger variety of people that we don’t necessarily see at the resort or the kayak launch. We do plan to be open year round as long as it’s feasible, but our goal is to be here for everyone,” she said.