Mark’s Pizzeria honored with Phoenix Award for creating Tapped on Main in Medina

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Brian and Lisa Christiaansen are pictured in the renovated game room they added to their pizzeria at 549 Main St., Medina. Their efforts earned them the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Phoenix  Award.

MEDINA – Brian and Lisa Chriastiaansen’s journey to owning their own pizza shop began when he met Mark Crane of Fairport, owner of the chain of Mark’s Pizzerias.

“The only job I’d had since I was 16 was working in a restaurant in Fairport,” said Brian, who is 53 now. “Mark asked me if I wanted to be manager of a store. That was in 1992, and within a year he asked me if I wanted to own my own store.”

He opened his first pizzeria in Hamlin, followed by Bushnell’s Basin and then Brockport. He now has stores in Medina, Albion and Newfane.

He met his wife Lisa in Medina when she worked at a bank. He opened the Albion store when their first child was born, followed a few years later by Newfane and Medina in 1997.

In 2019 the pizzeria needed remodeling and at one point he was looking at moving outside the village on Maple Ridge Road.

“But our customers liked us on Main Street,” he said. “Lance Mark owned the whole building here, with six store fronts, and I asked if he was interested in selling.”

He was, and the Christiaasens purchased it.

Brian wanted to have a space for his customers to sit down and dine and he and Lisa had always wanted a bar. They decided to combine a bar with the pizzeria, but first had to get permission from the franchise’s owner.

“Tapped Main at Mark’s Pizzeria was given permission with Mark Crane’s blessing,” Brian said.

Brian and Linda Christiaansen stand in front of Tapped On Main, the bar and game room they opened next to their existing pizza shop, Mark’s Pizzeria.

The Medina location became the only one of Mark’s franchises to serve beer and wine.

Tapped on Main opened in December 2019, then Covid hit in March 2020.

“It was slow at first,” Brian said. “We had to close the bar for a year. When we could finally open in 2021, we started to hit our stride.”

In 2023, they added a party and game room to the bar, which can accommodate private parties of 50 or less. The space is perfect for birthday parties or sports teams.

Brian said the renovation was done by Chris Marquart of Medina and his dad Dave.

Lisa had the inspiration for everything on the bar side, Brian said. They tried to keep everything original that they could, including the ceiling and a brick wall.

“Lisa, me and Chris planned it all and I’m pretty proud of that,” Brian said.

 He said they have great managers in the pizzeria, which allowed him and Lisa to concentrate on getting the bar going.

Brian said Chamber director Darlene Hartway came in to tell them about their award, and he was honored.

“It’s great to get acknowledged for the work we’ve done,” he said. “We take pride in our building and our bar business and it’s nice to be recognized for it.”

Tapped on Main at Mark’s Pizzeria is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. In addition to beer, wine and cocktails, they offer Mark’s Pizzeria menu and bar food.