Huntington Native Sisters Bring Vegan Pizza & Social Media Companies To Former Newspaper Building

Two sisters native to Huntington are bringing their vegan pizza operation back to their hometown and into a former newspaper building.  The move will create more than 60 jobs in the next few years.

Jennie Plasterer began Kitchen 17 in the Chicago area in 2013.  Her sister, Lorry, owns Smiley Face Media.  Both companies will soon be moved into the former Herald Press building in Huntington.  Kitchen 17 will create a 25,000 square foot pizza production facility with space for tastings and events and manufacturing frozen pizzas and vegan desserts for shipping.  The same building will hold a photo and video production studio for the marketing company.

The vegan pizza company will expand from its current 20 workers in Illinois, expecting to create 64 new jobs by the end of 2024.  It will receive tax credits and other monetary support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the city of Huntington, and Northeast Indiana Works

Both sisters say the pandemic allowed them time to consider restructuring and expanding, and they say they wanted to do it in the place their family has been for generations.  Kitchen 17’s current Chicago location has been named among the best vegan restaurants in the country by vegan magazines.