ROYERSFORD — When Penny’s Pizza closed its doors almost four years ago, there was a resounding feeling of disappointment in the Royersford area.

When the renowned pizza shop opened back up last October, the only disappointment associated with Penny’s was that the wait time for pizza grew as high as six hours, with the last pizza typically coming out of the oven at 1:15 a.m. But for devoted Penny’s fans, the wait was well worth it.

Penny’s Pizza’s claim to fame comes from their sweet sauce and use of cornmeal in pizza-making. Each pie is made backwards. Cheese is laid on the dough, then sauce is added, a method that few pizzerias employ. The dough is kneaded with a healthy dose of corn meal to give it the signature Penny’s taste.

“It’s an old family recipe that we have kept,” said owner Jen Pengelly, pictured below. She added, “the sweet sauce is what the customers like most.”

The Mercury Muncher has sampled a fair share of pizzas, but nothing was quite like the crunchy corn meal concoction that Penny’s offered. Combined with the sweet sauce, the pizza was a tasty treat with distinctive character, something that does not come with just any slice.

Penny’s serves a small menu, but what they do serve they serve right. Available are Neapolitan and white pizzas with a wide variety of fresh toppings, lasagna, strombolis and calzones.

One of the most defining characteristics of Penny’s is the commitment level of their customers near and far. The restaurant has shipped their food via next-day-air to California and Florida. Two customers come from Lancaster twice a month to get pizza and strombolis for parties, and others from Penn State and the District of Columbia will order 10 to 15 strombolis and freeze them.

In the spirit of being back in action, Penny’s Pizza will host their first annual pizza - eating contest in the spring, and will have more details on their website, www.gotcornmeal.com.

Penny’s Pizza is located at 68 W. Ridge Pike, Royersford and is open Thursday to Sunday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m for pickup customers. To place an order, call 610-489-3636.