“I’m very excited and grateful for this opportunity,” said Mike Acheson, who owns Sammy’s Pizza in Cloquet. “I’ve always had a special connection with the Lakeside community, having lived and worked there for many years. I can’t wait to continue the legacy that my family helped build. I also can’t thank Jim enough. He’s done an excellent job over the past 41 years and has created a great foundation for a bright future in Lakeside.”
It was at Sammy’s in Lakeside where Mike Acheson first got his start in the pizza business. There he worked for more than 17 years with Jim, and mother, Marguerite (Perrella) Acheson, before eventually opening his own restaurant in Cloquet in 2000. Mike, along with his son, Michael, who has been a key part in the success of Sammy’s Cloquet over the past seven years, will be regularly present managing the daily operations at both locations moving forward.
“I’m thrilled to have the restaurant stay in the Acheson family,” said Jim Acheson. “I can’t think of a better person to serve our loyal Lakeside community than my brother Mike. He has lived and breathed Sammy’s for a long time, and he understands what it takes to uphold the family legacy which has spanned more than four generations.”
Jim Acheson said he looks forward to having the opportunity to spend more time with family and friends, as well as managing the day-to-day operations at Sammy’s Pizza in Superior, which he also owns.
“I’ll still definitely be around,” said Jim Acheson. “I love the Lakeside community too much for it to be any other way. The timing was right for me and my family and I know Mike and my nephew, Michael, will do a great job.”
Today, there are 15 Sammy’s Pizza locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. They are all owned and operated by family members of Sammy’s creators and Mike and Jim’s grandparents, Sam and Louise Perrella.
In 2015, PMQ Pizza Magazine inducted Sammy’s Pizza into its Pizza Hall of Fame as part of its annual tribute to the rich, cultural history of American pizzerias that have been in business for 50 years or longer.
In 2018, Sammy’s was also voted ‘Best Pizza in Minnesota’ in Minnesota Monthly Magazine’s Pizza Bracket Challenge.