When Missy and Jim Hightower opened their newest Domino’s in Kellogg on Jan. 11, it was a move 15 years in the making.

The couple have long believed that Kellogg could support a Domino’s, but for more than a decade, they were unable to find the right spot.

“We’ve looked at it often,” Jim said. “It was a real grind trying to find a location.”

The stars finally aligned—with the help of Terry and Karla Douglas, who negotiated a lease for the store at 2 N. Division St. in Kellogg, with an option to purchase.

“We really owe them a debt of gratitude,” Jim said.

The 75-year-old building that now houses the restaurant has been almost completely remodeled, with new walls, plumbing, roofing, electrical work and more.

“It’s got a lot of history,” Missy said.

The store is equipped with ovens capable of baking more than 200 pizzas per hour. It also features a drive-thru pickup window, so customers don’t have to leave their vehicles in order to pick up their carryout orders.

Orders began to pour in — almost too many to keep up with in the first few days. Customers from all over the Silver Valley placed online orders for delivery and pickup.

“The Lord knew we needed to slow down, so He sent us a windstorm and turned off our power,” Missy said with a laugh.

For a day and a half after the Jan. 13 windstorm that caused severe damage throughout North Idaho, the Kellogg Domino’s was closed. Since then, they’ve bounced back—and worked out most of the kinks.

“We’ve been blown away by the response,” Missy said. “We’re busy from the time we open until the time we close.”

When a new store opens, Jim said, one of two things usually happens: sales are high and level off over time, or sales are low and gradually rise.

There’s also a third, less-common possibly.

“I think this store may the anomaly that opens high and continues to inch up to a very high volume,” Jim said.

In fact, sales at the Kellogg location are comparable to sales at their larger stores throughout North Idaho.

“We wish we had a building twice as big, frankly,” Missy said.

In addition to pizza, the menu offers oven-baked sandwiches, pasta, salads, bone-in chicken wings and boneless white chicken breast meat, as well as various breads and desserts. Jim said that’s part of the appeal.

“We’ve heard from people who are shocked that we’re Domino’s,” he said. “They didn’t realize the menu offered that much.”

The store has created about 30 jobs in the area so far. About 10 more employees are needed to fully staff the new location.

“We’ve been able to hire a wonderful crew from Kellogg,” Missy said. “They’re doing a fantastic job.”

Jim said the local hires are another part of the Hightowers’ ongoing investment in the Silver Valley — and they’re not done yet.

The couple hopes to open two or three more stores in the area in the coming years.

“I think the whole area is going to grow,” Jim said. “We look forward to more jobs, more growth and more pizza.”

The Kellogg store is open from 10:30 a.m. until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.