Our Town Revisited: Hebron Pizzeria
HEBRON, Md. – In July of 1999, Former WMDT anchor and reporter Kelley Rouse visited the old Hebron Family Restaurant and said not only was it a great place to get home-cooked meals, but it was also somewhere you could come and share the news of the day.
History of the Hebron Restaurant
Lunchtime at the Hebron Family Restaurant included plenty of good conversation and good food. Gloria Sinkbell, who bought the restaurant with her husband Bill in the early 1990s, says she had always farmed, so this was a new venture for her in many ways.
“We’ve made a lot of friends. Have a lot of people come in every day. The same customers that come in and enjoy being with each other and move from table to table visiting each other… ”
Farmers used to come in early for breakfast and old-fashioned cooking, now 25 years later, the name has changed and so have the owners. However, it’s still a place where locals can come and grab a bite, but this time, they can grab a slice.
From Patties to Pizza
The Hebron Family Restaurant’s history consisted of hamburgers. That was the past- 25 years later, the present is pizza.
In 2001, Turkish immigrant Turgut Oral moved to Maryland to live the American Dream. He stated his career as a dishwasher in a diner, and with hard work, dedication, and a loan from his uncle, he bought his first restaurant in 2006 and hasn’t looked back ever since.
“I had a place before in Easton, so I was looking. for a second place. So, I looked around and I didn’t see any other pizza places, so I thought it might be an opportunity for me to open another shop… I did some renovations, and then back in 2016 we opened as a pizza shop. Hebron’s Pizzeria.”
Immigrant to Established
Just 15 years after becoming a U.S. citizen he became established, and for a little over a decade, the 45-year-old has owned Hebron’s Pizzeria and is living the “American dream”.
Currently, Oral says there’s over 100 menu items, and they sell things like wings, wraps, subs, and sides. However, there are a few dishes they are known for. “We have calzones, Stromboli’s, we do soup, wintertime… Mostly we sell cheesesteaks and pizza that’s our main selling items.”
Homemade and Healthy
They use a 135-quart dough machine and a 480-degree convection oven to create their pies. His favorite is topped with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives, and in 6 minutes, you’re served. “We make our own dough here, I don’t buy frozen dough, we make it here… We have meat lovers, we have veggie pizza, we have basically, it’s like a New York Style Pizza.”
Continuous Customers
Back in the day, the local farmers used to come in for breakfast, and although they can’t get a pancake anymore, they do come for the pizza. “I think I have like 1500 customers frequently, like, they’re ordering a couple of times a week, some of them 2 times a week, some of them 4 or 5 you know… The farmers are still coming for lunch. They’re asking me can I open for morning too.”
And he says he’ll be right here 20 years from now, with a slice and a smile. Hebron’s Pizzeria is open 6 days a week Tuesday- Sunday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm at 203 South Main Street, so be sure to stop on by!
If you want to order online you can visit their website or call and order one of those veggie pizzas to- go at 410-831-3053.
