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PPS Staff Bio – Courtney Gringras

Unlike previous PPS Staff Bios, this one is a little different. It’s both an autobiography and a finale. I’m Courtney Gringras, PPS Brand Ambassador – the person behind most blog posts, in charge of the social media (Facebook, twitter, Instagram) and marketing at PPS.

I can remember my first PPS experience – olives, pizza & beer at the table in the front window of PPS Cook.  One bite and I was hooked!  I applied immediately and was hired to serve at PPS Bridge.  After completing my degree in Marketing and a bit of traveling (including Southern Italy), I returned to Victoria eager to apply my new skills. I approached Cristen & Geoffrey with a proposal to help run Prima Strada’s social media & manage advertising.  Lucky for me I worked for a couple who believed in empowering their staff and took a chance on me before my degree had even arrived from the printer. It’s been an amazing 3 years.

But the finale you ask? This will be the last blog post I’ll write. I’m leaving to pursue a new challenge; I’ve accepted a marketing position with a local high tech company. In the past few years, I’ve met many PPS Fans – some have become close friends. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing kids grow from only having a bite of mom’s crust to devouring a whole pizza unassisted! Not to worry, I’ll still be around. Pizza runs through my veins and I’ll never find better pizzas than those coming out of the fire at PPS.  I’m passing the torch to another enthusiastic PPS employee, Alicia Ross.

Grazie mille a tutti – ciao! – Courtney

Q. How long have you been with Prima Strada?
A. An amazing 3 years

Q. Where can we usually find you – PPS Bridge or PPS Cook?
A. PPS Bridge but I float between the two locations & can usually be found hovering near the mobile oven.

Q. Where is your hometown?
A. Victoria

Q. What’s your favorite restaurant/food item in your home town?
A. Essentially the entire bakery at Fol Epi. I used to live dangerously close.

Q. What’s your favorite pizza?
A.  Diavola Supremo (Diavola with arugula pesto & garlic) drenched in chili oil.

Q. What’s your ultimate comfort food?
A. Baguette, a selection of salumi & oozy cheeses, cornichons & olives. Things preserved in fat are always a nice addition.

Q. Current favorite wine/beer or drink?
A. I love a spicy Caesar – but it has to have a celery stalk in it (where did all the celery go?)

Q. What is the theme song to your life right now?
A.  I’m all over the map but 90% of the time I’m listening to either Sinatra, Bowie or 90’s hip hop (shout out to whoever created the ’90’s Hip Hop House Party’ playlist on Songza!)

Q. If you could go to one place for a week all expenses paid, where would you go?
A. I’d go back to Japan. I lived there for a couple of months and fell in love.  The food & the people are simply incredible.

Q. Best part of being with Prima Strada?
A.  EVERYTHING! No, but seriously – my time at PPS has been full of great friends, interesting conversations and a whole hell of a lot of delicious food. I blame PPS for making me the pizza, beer, wine & coffee snob that I am today.  Although I may not be working for PPS any longer, they’ll never be able to get rid of me.

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Cook Street 250.590.8595

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Media Jenn Pott

As a neighbourhood restaurant, we understand the importance of giving back. For inquiries, visit this page

We would like to acknowledge Pizzeria Prima Strada is grateful to operate in the beautiful traditional unceded Coast Salish territories of the Lekwungen and Esquimalt people.

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