Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Lucht.
Hi Dave, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Charred Apizza is the passion project of two friends, Dave and Terry. Terry is a seasoned baker and self-professed dough nerd, while Dave is a chef with over 30 years of restaurant experience. Together, their combined expertise creates a wonderful pizza!
Dave’s culinary career began at age 14. He attended business college at University of Kansas before studying at the Southern California School of Culinary Arts. The decades of making and serving food gave him great respect for the craft and a strong belief in the power of food to bring about lasting personal connections.
Terry discovered his passion for baking as a hobby 15 years ago, and got serious five years later. He sought out mentorship from many professional bakers to help guide his journey. Today there is no dough Terry can’t perfect or a loaf of bread he can’t bake!
The duo began dreaming and working on Charred in 2022. They started with pop-ups, catering and collaborations with other businesses. They even borrowed a friend’s food truck for some local vineyard events. These beginning steps were quintessential for the formation of the business but were never the end goal. Dave and Terry had their eyes on a brick-and-mortar store front somewhere in downtown Springfield.
In early 2025, they partnered with the Washburne Café taking over the space during the weekend evenings after the café had closed. For nearly a year they co-habited the space, gaining a local following and some traction on Main Street. During that time Terry and Dave secured their own space just a few blocks down the street. In October 2025 they got the keys and began an extensive remodel.
Five months of intense work involving concrete removal and pouring, plumbing, electrical upgrades, structural fixes and a lot of DEEP cleaning yielded Charred Apizza’s new home at 553 Main!
We proudly serve Detroit Style Pizza, New Haven style Pizza, Calzones, a salad bar stocked by our local organic farmers, house made Phosphate sodas, 1950’s inspired cocktails, frozen take-out options, and Catering. Our dynamic space was built with community in mind. We host Pop-Ups, classes, collaborations and special dinner events every other Sunday… a recuring and unique special evening we call 5th nights at Charred.
While Terry and Dave are masters of their craft, they never stop innovating. They are constantly testing, refining and showcasing the endless possibilities of pizza. Guests can always expect to see new styles of pizza, wildly creative specials, comfortable classics and regional specialties!
Charred is proud to be partnered with local pasta producer Pasta Plus and serves as Springfields direct to the public outlet. Get pasta plus products and pesto at Charred and save some money compared to the retail prices at grocery stores.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Remodeling our permanent location was challenging. We had several large issues we did not anticipate, such as a ceiling collapse, entire plumbing system degraded beyond use, electrical issues, leaking roof, outdated hood system and fire suppression.
Restaurant operation is rarely a smooth road. Even when it appears the place is functioning smooth and flawlessly there are always bumps behind the scenes. We experience ups and downs like any other restaurant.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are known for our pizza! Our detroit style pizza dough is mixed by hand. This allows us to develop a gluten structure unlike that of a mixer, which tears the gluten as it mixes. Our technique allows us to layer gluten development giving our finished crust a laminate dough texture.
Our sauces are all made in house from scratch, as are most of our toppings.
Our Salad Bar features only organic products sourced from within 25 miles of the town.
We also make our own phosphate soda syrups using nothing but fruit, sugar, phosphate and water.
Charred features a 1950’s cocktail bar utilizing our phosphate syrups
How do you think about happiness?
Cooking for hungry people keeps us happy. We get the opportunity to nourish customers, bringing smiles to every face.
Food has an amazing ability to bring people together. It can take you back in memories to happier times. It can take the sting off a terrible day, and it can make any celebration brighter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://charredapizza.com
- Instagram: charredapizza
- Facebook: Charred Apizza
