Jo Tranchita of Seder's Pizza

As an Upper Peninsula transplant, Jo Tranchita has made herself an invaluable member of her community – from volunteering with local organizations to taking ownership of a favorite pizza place

Growing up in Fremont, Ohio, Jo Tranchita first learned to process and preserve a garden from her mom. After working as a park ranger and paramedic, Jo and her husband looked to move to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for their retirement in 2019. What she didn’t anticipate in this new phase of her life was buying a restaurant: Newberry’s original pizzeria, Seder’s Pizza.

While carrying the torch for a community staple, Jo is also working on blazing her own trail with a new concept: a farm-to-table destination restaurant on her maple syrup and blueberry farm. The restaurant will partner with local meat, dairy and produce farmers around the state, with plans to open by summer/fall 2025. 

“I am just getting started,” she said. “There are so many food cultures I still want to explore, new people to meet, and many roads to travel. I love the opportunity that I was given to be a part of a community such as this one.”

When did you first come to Michigan?

We started visiting Michigan in 2000. We started in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area, camping in late summer, early fall. We then ‘discovered’ the Upper Peninsula and continued to visit every year until moving here permanently in 2019. We have lived in small towns all our lives and really fell in love with the Newberry/Muskallonge Lake area.

What brought you to living and working in Luce County?

We have always loved the wide-open space of the Upper Peninsula and knew that we wanted to some day live up here when we retired from our first responder careers. We had no intention of buying a restaurant when we were in the process of moving. The adage of ‘right place, right time’ was so true in our case. We walked in this cozy little restaurant and the owner was working. We started chatting and realized that our vision of serving good food to great people was very similar. A few weeks later, we owned a restaurant. 

What has the experience been like as a business owner and active member of the community?

We took ownership of Seder’s Pizza in January 2019. This restaurant has been a local mainstay in the community for over 50 years. We are making it our mission to keep the tradition of a local restaurant alive while also having a safe place for good conversation, great food from many cultures and teaching how to prepare that food. 

I have been blessed with a servant’s heart, so I have become involved with a few different organizations. I am the Newberry Area Chamber of Commerce President. I am on the board of the Luce County Economic Development Board. I am a former board member of the Tahquamenon Area Logging Museum. My soul is meant to help others so as soon as we moved to the area, I started getting to know new friends and getting involved in the community. 

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced along this career path and how did you overcome them?

Our big challenge was that COVID hit three months after we became the owners of Seder’s Pizza.  When COVID introduced the many closures and guidelines, we knew we would have to adapt and overcome. Closing was not an option for us. We were able to stay open during the entire two years of the pandemic by changing our business plan and incorporating a different model while maintaining the Original Seder recipes that the community loves. We offered complete meals to go and expanded our delivery to include not only our pizza and meals, but also grocery orders for folks that did not want to venture out.

As a business owner, it is sometimes difficult knowing and incorporating all the different work ethics that our current workforce encompasses. We all want happy, well-rounded employees that love their job, but we must balance that with keeping the business thriving and operating around parameters that are given to us. I am fortunate to belong to the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association as well as having a great Economic Development Corporation in Luce County. This allows me access to many free webinars and training that keep me up to date.

When you’re not busy working, what are some things you enjoy about living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula?

We enjoy the laid back, take it easy lifestyle of the U.P. ‘Neighbor’ is an all-encompassing term. If you need help, you just put the word out and you will receive it. Visitors frequently find themselves lost and/or stuck. There always seems like there is a community member that will go out of their way to make sure the visitor is helped. There is a strong spirit up here that you do not always find in more populated areas.