After guest preaching at a church in nearby Richmond, I was both tired and hungry and looking for a place to grab a bite to eat on my way back to Indianapolis. I really like Knightstown and decided to really give the town a close look as an ideal spot for lunch. I'd spotted what looked like a Frosty Boy on my way to Richmond and went out of my way to look for it on my way back to Indy along U.S. 40. As I pulled in, I wasn't quite sure if this was one of those small town walk-up ice cream joints or how things worked. I was delighted when I saw a car in what looked like a drive-thru and I drove around the building and pulled up behind that same car. I quickly caught on that this was a non-traditional drive-thru. There's one window. You pull up to it, order, and wait for your order. If they have a line, I also caught on that they'll likely ask you to pull over. I was unclear if they would bring it to you or if you would be expect to go to their walk-up window. It only took a few minutes and I was at the window. You can imagine my dismay when I quickly realized this was actually a Pizza King. I love Pizza King, but I was expecting and hoping for a Frosty Boy. This is an older building still largely decked out as a Frosty Boy and it's really not until you get close to it that you realize there are Pizza King signs in the windows and on the door. I did not see any indication of actual dine-in, but I definitely decided I wasn't wanting pizza "to go." They did have a lasagna special that was tempting, Other than a hand-written sign advertising the lasagna special, it seemed weird that there was no menu on the window or anywhere that I could see outside. As I'd already been surprised by it not being a Frosty Boy, I was unclear if maybe it was a joint Pizza King/Frosty Boy experience or how things worked. I made a comment that it was my first time there - no offer of a menu I asked if they had a hamburger - they do. I decided to stick to a burger, fries, and an unsweetened iced tea. They have two sizes of iced tea, though the person serving had to check to make sure they had it since they apparently tend to run out. Fortunately, they did have it. I will note the large is probably the size of a medium most places. They also have two sizes of fries - I ordered a large. Again, I'd say their large is a fairly standard order most places. The good news is that this meal was super cheap. I paid $5.40. The not so great news is that the meal tastes like a $5.40 meal. The burger was okay, and I'm being generous, but the thin crinkle-cut fries were close to abysmal. The iced tea was refreshing. Richmond has one of the best Pizza Locations, but I'll definitely place this one somewhere near the low-end of the Pizza King scale. The food was average at best, the service was functional at best, and there's no question that a return trip to Knightstown would find me going elsewhere including possibly the pizza joint right across the street. I initially thought this must be a new location and they're just in the process of transitioning the building, but a glance at the Pizza King website indicates this has been a franchise since 2016. There are several things that would improve the experience: 1) Signage. Admittedly, I'm sure locals already know it's a Pizza King. But, if you have a pizza joint along U.S. 40 you're bound to get travelers. It would help to act like you want them. 2) Hospitality - When someone indicates it's their first visit, try acting like you're pleased they've arrived. Be helpful. Offer a menu if needed. 3) Work on supply issues - I mean, seriously. I realize there are supply issues these days, but not on iced tea. If you run out of iced tea regularly, that's a management issue. Make more? 4) Improve the drive-thru experience. While I can't imagine you're going to put in a 2nd window, given the limited spacing of this place you've got to find a way to expedite orders and service. Plus, of course, the signage. It would speed things up if people could contemplate their order before arriving at the window. The young woman who served me initially was friendly in a casual sense. Pizza King itself is a beloved chain here in Indiana. You've got solid potential here - maybe not for a 5-star restaurant, but this could be much better. Overall, I'm not going to give an overwhelmingly negative review. The food was decent. The prices were awesome. But yeah, this was definitely a disappointment and my next time through Knightstown I'll definitely look elsewhere on Main Street. read more