[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Though it has only been open for two weeks, Jeff & Jim's Pizza is already looking to establish a large, diverse customer base and tap into the late-night food market on State Street.

Co-owner Jeff Uetz said Jeff & Jim's Pizza, located at 449 State St., now has five locations dispersed throughout Wisconsin — one in Menomonie, one in La Crosse and two in Eau Claire — but this is the first in Madison.

As a former University of Wisconsin-Madison student, Uetz said he is happy to return to the bustle of State Street and try to gain recognition among the student community and city residents.

"There's a draw to State Street — and that's the feeling I had when I went to school here," he said. "This is a big, small town, and I've always been drawn to this place."

In a city that already has so many popular pizza joints, Uetz said he is trying to get a feel for what people want and need, but that they do not get from other restaurants. Jeff & Jim's Pizza is primarily a delivery service, he added, but also offers dine-in and carry-out services with a variety of items from calzones to salads.

However, customers will not find a large emphasis on pizza by the slice, Uetz said, because that market has already been taken up by places like Ian's Pizzeria and Pizza di Roma. Still, Uetz noted he does not consider any other pizza places competition.

"When you say competition, yeah, everyone's doing pizza, but everyone's doing it a little different," he said. "We've been open two weeks, and I'm kind of starting to get an idea of what people want — people want delivery dinner at a reasonable price."

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said competition among restaurants in the State Street area has increased significantly in recent years. As the demand for food at bar time has grown, he added, so have the number of restaurants — especially pizza places — open until 3 a.m. or later.

Uetz said from what he has seen so far, the restaurant's location on the second floor above street level already puts Jeff and Jim's Pizza at a slight disadvantage. Because pedestrians do not pass by the storefront at eye level, he said they do not get quite as many walk-in customers as desired.

Yet Verveer said there are several examples on State Street of highly successful second-floor businesses, and it does not have to be a disadvantage as long as the restaurant tries to get its name out.

"Second floor businesses have proven they can do quite well," he added. "There is a constant revolving door of businesses coming into the State Street area, and I don't think that's such a bad thing, although I feel bad for businesses that don't make it."

By keeping his customer base broad and offering a wide variety of menu items, Uetz said he is confident his business will start to build little by little.

"I'm just trying to give people what they want," Uetz added. "It's about adapting and doing our own thing."