ROCKY RIVER, Ohio - Kids love pizza. So you'd think build-your-own pies would be a guaranteed hit.

They are with plenty of diners, who have made fast-casual - aka Chipotle style -- pizza shops one of the fastest growing segments of the restaurant industry.

In Northeast Ohio, Sean Brauser, who owns the successful, Medina-based Romeo's Pizza chain, created Pizza Fire two years ago. Since then he's opened seven Ohio stores and plans to open at least 18 more.

Brauser told a trade publication he built Pizza Fire up to $5 million in business in a year.

Pizza Fire

* Address: Seven Ohio locations, including 21605 Center Ridge Rd, Rocky River

* Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

* Food: Fast-casual pizza

* Kids menu? No



* High chairs? Yes

* Baby change pad: Yes

* Parking: Free lot

At lunch on a recent Friday at the Rocky River Pizza Fire, the line of customers stretched from the counter to the door. And my neighbors rave about the the place.

But the concept fell flat with my family.

Let me explain.

First, the concept:

Pizza has always been a made-to-order meal, right? You call your favorite pizza place and order your favorite toppings on your preferred crust.

Pizza Fire, though, expands your choices to six sauces, five types of cheese and 40 toppings, from free-range chicken to fresh spinach. Or you can choose from one of several specialty pizzas, including one called the Clevelander (which has both locally sourced sausage and pepperoni, natch. Regardless, the toppings are added before your eyes.

You get your pizza much faster than the typical 20-minute pick-up time for a traditional pie. At Pizza Fire, the plate-size, thin-crust pie is cooked for three minutes in an 800-degree oven.

You pay at the counter ($6.49 for one topping, $7.49 for three and $8.49 for five), and your name is called when your six-piece pizza is ready. Meanwhile you can fill your drink (Pepsi products, with one-size cup.)

Some locations offer delivery, too, during specific hours.

Second, the food:

All those choices don't necessarily matter if you're eating with a preschooler, who will deign to eat only pepperoni.

Pizza Fire doesn't offer kids meals. So my kids split a pizza, with half cheese (him) and half pepperoni (her).

The thing is, these pies are Neapolitan style, less cheesy and more charred than the traditional pizzas my kids normally dig into. They weren't big fans.

And the bread sticks ($3.99), pizza dough brushed with garlic, oil and Romano cheese, were tough and pretty bland.

My sister's Margherita pizza had balls of mozzarella and fresh basil, which I watched a guy pick from a hydroponic tub. Cool! But the toppings were pretty skimpy. (There are measurements on all the utensils, and the cooks seemed to follow them. No heaping scoops here.) And the crust had a definite burnt flavor.

My Hollywood pizza, with garlic, chicken and roasted red pepper on a basil sauce, was the best of our bunch. It was delicious hot, though unfortunately was not so good for leftovers later.

The most disappointing dish was the Caesar salad.

Pizza Fire's web site promises customers can "choose from more than 30 mouth-watering salad toppings with eight homemade salad dressings," and I assumed the salad would be made in front of me, just like the pizza.

Instead I was directed to a refrigerator case stacked with plastic containers. The romaine lettuce was picked fresh in the store, the carton said. But the chicken was tasteless. And the croutons and dressing came in plastic pouches.

The cookies, though? The cookies (three for $5) are excellent.

Third, the atmosphere:

The interior of Pizza Fire is pretty basic, without even the quirky art or quotes of fast-casual pioneer Chipotle or the rustic touches of Piada.

There's nothing to occupy kids while you wait, so maybe bring a coloring book and crayons? Or, you know, hand them your phone to watch the PBS Kids app.

Me, I'll stick to the traditional pizzeria, with my traditional toppings and thicker crust.