The Montana Standard, Butte, Sunday, July 5, JOHN ORIZOTTI works at his pork chop of the firm, waits on a customer. There sandwich shop on Mercury Street in Uptown an outlet on Harrison Avenue. (Staff Butte as Linda Caprara, an 18-year employee John is building an empire with pork chop sandwiches By JAN McCORMICK Standard Staff Writer The Pork Chop John legend is growing. When one thinks of landmarks in the Mining City, the Berkeley Pit, Big Butte and John's Pork Chop Sandwich shop on Mercury Street come to mind. While landmarks continue to crumble and more businesses fold, at least one man in Butte dreams of opening an empire at 8 Mercury St. the John's Original Pork Chop Sandwich factory. There's nothing owner John Orizotti would love more than opening his factory and sending his pork chop sandwichs all across the country. Slowly, fame is reaching 47-year-old Meaderville native. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal about Orizotti and his expansion plans brought calls from as far as Florida, Mississippi and California, he said. He's acquired the building needed for his factory, at Mercury and Main, the experience of past failures - and the reputation for the best pork chop sandwich around. Empires grow slowly, but Orizotti is sure the world is ready. "I just believe my pork chop sandwich is too good a product to be contained," the father of seven said, who is married to the former Mary Carol Piazzola. Two of his sons, Ed and Tom, work with him at the Mercury Street shop. MUCH HAS CHANGED since the original owner, John Burklund, started selling the pork chop sandwiches including the bone - during the Depression for 20 cents. Burklund later passed the business on to his sonin-law, Bernard Semmons, who operated the Mercury Street shop for 35 years. In 1951, John Orizotti had graduated from Butte High and was working around the corner at the Better Meat Market. He told Semmons he wanted to be the next Pork Chop John. A meat cutter by trade, Orizotti had to bide his time. He worked at the Better Meat Market until he and his father-in-law, Dan Piazzola, opened the Main Public Market about 1960. Phone books ready Butte telephone directories for 1981 will be delivered this week to residences. The major change is the 782- prefix for many Butte' customers. Callers have been able to dial either the new number or the old during a transition period that began April 18. With the new directories out, the old numbers will no longer be useable. The prefix change is to avoid misdirected calls to Butte's 911 emergency system. The new directory also contains an updated customer guide section, said Pati Gibson, local Mountain Bell manager. Anaconda, Deer Lodge Area youth in Japan TWIN BRIDGES - Greg Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Smith of Twin Bridges, left last week for Japan. He was one of 15 Future Homemakers of America members in the nation to receive a Youth for Understanding scholarship funded by •the Kikkoman Soy Sauce Co. During his two-month stay, Greg will live with SMITH host family, Mr. and Mrs. Masataka Echigo of Ashiya City, tour the Kikkoman plant, and attend the national leadership conference of the Future Homemakers of Japan. The scholarship also includes a weekend reunion in the U.S. for the 15 win'ners each fall for three years. Greg is a junior at Twin Bridges High School and besides FHA is active- in drama and speech, Boy Scouts and other activities. 1981-19 also is photo) Tnen in 1969, he got.his chance to become Pork Chop John. Semmons, now retired and living in Phoenix, said in a telephone interview, "Johnny was always a hardworking boy, so when the time came to sell, it was Johnny's.' Orizotti recalled how busy Butte was in 1969. Porkchops were 65 cents then, compared to $1.50 now. He pulls out his pocket calculator; volume has increased five, no, six times, since then, he says. Orizotti's face lights up when he talks about selling pork chop sandwiches. Orizotti is an obsessed man. "I always wanted to be Pork Chop John," he says. "It's something I always wanted to do with my life.' Guy "Pene" Ossello Jr., a life long friend, says of him, "If ever there was a person who looks and acts like Pork Chop John, it's John Orizotti." IN THE BEGINNING, the pork was pounded by hand. Now the pork, which costs twice as much as it did 1969 - is formed into three-ounce patties, breaded, battered and quick-fried by machines. Orizotti said he sells about 8,000 to 10,000 pork chop sandwiches a week at the Mercury Street shop and at 2400 Harrison, which opened in 1975. "It's the batter - it makes about 75 percent of the difference," he said, of which only he, Semmons and his wife know how to make. After a heart attack five years ago, Orizotti decided he had better tell his wife the batter recipe. Expansion plans have been going on for almost three years, he said. With the arrival next month of a new fryer, which will use only 28 gallons of oil compared to. the 100-gallon fryer he has now, his machinery will be ready "to put out a terrible lot of pork chops," he said. He now supplies the patties to about 15 restaurants and is looking for more. A John's Pork Chop Shop is opening next month in Kalispell and Orizotti's hopes are high. and Dillon area customers calling the phone will now call redempany order new service or ask questions. Calls are tollfree to 1-449-3522 for residence customers and 1- 449-4450 for business customers. PhoneCenter stores will remain in those communities for customers to pick up new phones, leave sets when they move or bring phones for repair. BUT, FAILURES in the past have prevented him from expanding faster. A Pork Chop John's in Missoula folded after owner Les Sheridan, of Butte, and his son, Dan, were killed in a plane crash. An attempt in Billings also failed. Shaking his head, Orizotti said of the latter attempt, "I just couldn't get them to put their hearts into it. They have to want to eat every sandwich they serve. "You've got to be able to take your lumps for a couple of years; then they'll come to you if it's good.' His main obstacle now to supplying the "John's Original Pork Chop Sandwich, is finding refrigerated a trucks to carry his patties. But the affable, driven man is determined he will solve that problem, too, even if he has to invest in trucks himself. *Butte's going to be home base, even if I have to get the trucks myself," he said. Orizotti attributes part of his success to Butte. "Butte's been good to us," he said, "and I'd like to give something back to it - like Pork Chop John's factory." NIGHT Shes J Still Rock en State Fair GREAT FALLS I MONTANA BARBARA DANNY DAVIS & the MANDRELL NASHVILLE BRASS JULY 25 - 7. & 9:30 Reserve Seating JULY 28 - 2, 6, 9 p.m. Festival Seating LARRY GATLIN & the STATE FAIR GATLIN BROTHERS PRO RODEO JULY 26 - 8 p.m. Reserve Seating JULY 29-31 - 8 p.m. Reserve Seating PURE PRAIRIE MERLE LEAGUE HAGGARD JULY 27 8 p.m. Festival Seating AUGUST 1 - 8 p.m. Reserve Seating CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-332-2010