It is believed by many people that those who control the youth also control the future. If that's the case in the indie pizza game, then the Kelso's Pizza in Lee's Summit, Mo. will most likely prosper in the coming years. Still, there seems to be some uncertainty as to whether kids equal cash in the indie pizza equation.

Though I’m not entirely certain that Kelso’s is a totally independent pizza place, the atmosphere within the restaurant is undoubtedly indie. The restaurant, which is located in a relatively new strip mall, has a maximum capacity of almost 100 people. Overall, the place looks very clean, and the decor consists of the typical posters and wall hangings associated with the majority of "bar and grill" restaurants. Speaking of bars, Kelso’s does boast a full bar that includes many local micro-brews that go hand-in-hand with the pizza.

Furthermore, Kelso's has plenty of televisions so people can watch “the big game” while they dine(the premier of the XFL games were playing during my visit), and the powers-that-be at Kelso’s Pizza didn't forget to acquire a jukebox and a few arcade games. Though Kelso’s has all the factors of a good indie pizza place, I was a bit disappointed by the fact that the wait staff didn’t seem comfortable with the idea that people (excluding the patrons sitting at the full-service bar) may actually go there to hang out. Though it is understandable that people in the restaurant business would rather not have people loiter at their place of business for inordinate amounts of time, the particular waitress that my friends and I had made the time that we took after our meal to talk and finish our drinks feel more awkward than it should have felt.

As far as the menu goes, Kelso’s Pizza “got game.” The restaurant has all of the basic pizza toppings along with many other less conventional toppings like artichoke hearts. For those who prefer ordering combination pizzas as opposed to selecting their own ingredients, Kelso’s offers a decent variety of specialty pizzas. In addition, Kelso’s offers several sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes, and other specialty plates.

In my experience, the crust is really the foundation of the pizza. Without a decent crust, a restaurant doesn't have a pizza. The folks at Kelso’s seem pretty aware of this idea, they have done their homework, and they have a good crust to show for it. As far as I know, Kelso’s offers one type of crust that can pretty much be considered “deep dish” without being terribly thick. Overall, this crust is really nice. It is crispy toward the outside without being too crispy, and it’s chewy on the inside without being too chewy. The cheese is essentially mozzarella, and it has a nice consistency while it doesn't overwhelm the palate. The toppings on the pizza also seem to be quite fresh. I chose to eat what those at Kelso’s like to call “California Dreamin,” which consists of artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and black olives. This pizza is definitely more than a clever nod to a Mamas and the Papas song. Overall, Kelso’s serves up an excellent, well-rounded pizza. Though, I haven't tried more than the pizza, the glimpse I got of their appetizers and specialty dishes was quite promising.

Now it’s time to address the issue of youth as it relates to the indie pizza business (don't worry I didn’t forget my intro on this piece). As I walked into Kelso’s on my visit, I couldn’t help but notice a high amount of teenagers dining there. Also, many adults that were there were accompanied by kids. Of course, it is expected that young people frequent pizza places, but I was still somewhat impressed by the fact that these kids were drawn into this classic indie joint. I suppose I have made the assumption that kids are still more drawn to pizza chains that have the appeal of lower prices, recognition factor, and a handful of gimmicks. I think that if Kelso’s can consistently draw these younger customers, they will indeed be successful as the young people continue to make more money and spend it at their restaurant in the years to come.

On the other hand, I also noticed that the majority of the help around Kelso’s consisted of people in their teens. Once again, this situation is not that extraordinary because a lot of young people work at restaurants (I myself was employed at an indie pizza joint as a teenager and beyond). Still, it seemed as if most of the young employees at Kelso’s were almost more interested at hanging out amongst themselves than they were in making money and going that one step beyond in their service. Once again, this is no revelation to anybody that has gone into a restaurant these days, but it does prove to be a little disappointing from a customer’s point of view. Don’t get me wrong, the service was entirely passable; however, passable is the keyword (as opposed to extraordinary). I think the issue of young workers also relates to my earlier note about the (teenage) waitress who seemed to think it was weird that my friends and I chose to stick around even after our bill was given to us. Overall, I think that the group at Kelso’s might need to raise the bar (and the average age) on their servers just a bit, or else their youth factor as it relates to the staff may discourage repeat customers.

Overall, I think that Kelso’s is a good pizza restaurant with a lot of promise. Though I felt like the servers seemed to operate at the bare minimum, I think that the good pizza will be enough to make me return. Take the time to visit Kelso’s pizza yourself in order to experience the pizza that is helping to carry indie pizza into the 21st century.

(Kelso's Pizza is located near the intersection of Interstate 470 and Douglas Rd., in Lee's Summit, Mo.)

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