Paden City is about to get a taste of something new, thanks to the owners of Poor Daddy’s Pizza Truck.

Kelly and Troy Smith, who have been serving their oven-baked pizzas across the Mountain State for two years, are planning to open a restaurant in town. The couple recently closed on a vacant property across from WesBanco Bank and are considering adding a coffee shop to the mix.

“It’ll have indoor seating, outdoor seating, we are just looking at more of a family-oriented vibe,” Troy Smith. “Anyone that feels comfortable coming in, we might have some local musicians come here, play on some weekends, special events.”


The Smiths hope to open the restaurant sometime next year, which would make it one of the only sit-down dining options in Paden City.

Cork Bowen, president of the Paden City Development Authority, is optimistic about the location along Route 2.

“You know Paden City only has one red light, and they’re right beside that,” Bowen said. “There’s several thousand cars that go by here a day, and we feel it’s going to be a great opportunity for them, and it’s going to be great for Paden City.”

Bowen added that the new restaurant could help revitalize the city following the recent closure of Paden City High School.

“So little by little we are trying to get the town back to where it was,” Bowen said. “But it was a big blow for the high school, but we are trying to overcome that, we are pretty resilient here in Paden City.”

The Smiths are committed to authenticity, baking their pizzas in an Italian kiln from California.

“It’s all fresh, we put our own twist on it though, but a Poor Daddy’s twist to it,” they said. “I think we will do great here.”

Stay tuned for updates on the progress of the restaurant.