Robert Griffin
ELLAVILLE — Ellaville is a great example of a small, quaint, southern town. The downtown area is comprised of a small park, and a collage of different businesses, each adding its own charm. Placed neatly between a laundromat and a lawyer’s office lies The Pizza Place.
The place serves as a lunch and dinnertime haven for those in Ellaville. A place where if the parents aren’t up to preparing dinner, they can call in and order up the family meal.
On most days, when you walk into the restaurant you will find Ashley Culp behind the counter. She might be making pizzas for a classroom full of students, preparing salads or doing her part to keep the restaurant clean. Culp’s job does not require a fancy title, she just prefers to be a “Jill of all trades” and does everything she can do to make the restaurant run smoothly. “I run the register; I make the pizzas; I can do everything,” says Culp.
Culp is 24 and a native of Ellaville. She has spent four years working at The Pizza Place and says that she loves the time she spends at work because of her co-workers, and the customers who frequent the restaurant. “I like the people who come in here,” says Culp. “In Ellaville, I like the friendliness of everybody, and everybody has a great sense of humor and a great attitude when they come in.” She says that when she is making pizzas, her favorite to make is the supreme. Culp says, “Well, they are easier to make, and because its not a boring pizza to make.”
Culp is married to Simon Culp, and they have two children, 3-year-old Chasity and 1-year-old Eli. Whenever Culp finds some moments of free time she enjoys reading thriller novels, especially those written by Stephen King, though she admits that she doesn’t have that much time to read. Most of her time out of work though is focused on the new home that she and her husband recently purchased, and playing with her children. “Well, I just bought a house, so right now I am landscaping the house. Either that or I will take my daughter swimming at the pool.”
Culp came to work at The Pizza Place after having a conversation with one of her friends. “At first, I had a friend who was the grandson of the owner, and he said that they needed some help, so I decided to try it out, because at the time I just graduated high school.”
There are up days and down days at any job, but Culp could not think of a part of her job that she disliked. “I don’t really have a least favorite part of my job, besides taking the trash out.”
Growing up, Culp said that she wanted to do something in the psychology field, because she likes to help people. She said that though she didn’t make it to college, she won’t let it get in the way of her goals and dreams for her family. “ I try not to dwell in the past, and keep looking towards the future,” said Culp. She said the greatest influence on her life came from her grandmother, or to Culp “granny.”
“She had two brain aneurysms and she never gave up, and she is still here and still going strong,” she said.
