The Legacy of the Land
For over half a century, the Kucera name has been woven into the fabric of the Klamath Basin. Long before the first pint was poured at Mia & Pia’s, the family built a life around the rhythms of the Klamath Irrigation District (K.I.D.).
Local entrepreneurs Don and Nancy Kucera operated the ND Dairy Farm, a “cash flow dairy” that was unique for its time. While other operations waited on long payment cycles, the Kuceras delivered Grade A Raw Milk to stores every day, serving communities from Medford to Bend and Lakeview. Their motto, “Only cream tops our milk,” reflected a commitment to quality that remains the foundation of the Kucera family’s work today.
The Great Transformation
In 1986, a federal “Whole-herd Buyout Program” prompted a major shift for the family. Don and Nancy, then in their mid-50s and “scared to death of getting a job” working for anyone else, decided to pivot. They opened a small pizzeria in Keno in 1987 before moving to the current Klamath Falls location in 1988.
During this era, Rod Kucera began investigating micro-brewing as a way to honor the family’s agricultural roots. Throughout 1996, Rod personally repurposed the dairy’s original equipment and hardware for brewing, crafting his first beer that year and becoming the first brewery in Klamath County.
The Power Couple: Innovation & Grit
In 1997, Jodi and Rod Kucera officially launched Mia & Pia’s Pizzeria and Brewhouse. For nearly three decades, this power couple has continued to innovate in a crowded market, facing competition from chain restaurants and giant beer companies by leaning into their unique identity.
Jodi and Rod have succeeded by prioritizing human connection over modern convenience. They famously avoided online ordering and third-party delivery services until very recently, with Jodi noting that they are “not techno-enthusiasts” and prefer the face-to-face contact with customers who often become lifelong friends.
The Strength of the Network
The Kuceras often credit their longevity to the power of networking—a lesson they learned early on when a licensing issue threatened to shut down their video lottery games. By calling on their local connections, they quickly pivoted, securing a brewery license that solved the problem and opened new doors. As Rod reflects, “Knowing people and working with people will open up many doors”.
From repurposing an old agricultural harrow to hold “Mug Club” mugs to advocating for the Klamath Irrigation District, every corner of their business is a tribute to the ingenuity of a Klamath farming family.
Rooted in the Basin
Today, Rod and Jodi remain steadfast advocates for the region, understanding that the success of local businesses—be they farms or brewhouses—depends on the responsible management of the resources that define the Basin.
Their parting advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs reflects their own journey: “Having drive and passion are wonderful things, but you also need to use your brains”. By blending the grit of the dairy with a modern entrepreneurial vision, the Kuceras continue to bring “homegrown notoriety” to Klamath Falls.
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Owners of Mia and Pia’s talk about road to success
- ZAK KEENEY For the Herald and News
- Sep 20, 2024 Updated Sep 20, 2024
The 1990s: The post-Cold War decade that saw the advent of Netflix, the world wide web, text messaging, the Sony PlayStation and one of Klamath Falls’ longest-running and beloved restaurants, Mia and Pia’s Pizzeria and Brewhouse.
The year was 1997 to be exact when Jodi and Rod Kucera opened Mia and Pia’s, and for nearly 30 years the power couple has continued to innovate and be successful in a crowded market facing competition from not only other small businesses, but chain restaurants and giant beer companies. The Kuceras shared how it all came to be during the first Klamath IDEA Talk of the 2024-25 season, a series of gatherings hosted by Klamath IDEA designed as a networking opportunity for those wanting to learn and be inspired by guest speakers on an inspirational or educational entrepreneurial related topic.
It was over half a century ago when local entrepreneurs Dan and Nancy Kucera started the ND Dairy Farm that sold Grade A Raw Milk across southern Oregon with the slogan “Only cream tops our milk.”
“My parents’ dairy was different from most,” Rod Kucera said. “It was a cash flow dairy. We delivered raw milk to the stores every day and received the cash every day, unlike other operations. My parents ran the dairy until 1986.”
In that year, the federal government launched the Whole-herd Buyout Program intending to reduce the number of milk cows in the country. Farmers were able to submit bids to retire their herds based on each hundredweight of annual milk produced for the cows to either be slaughtered or exported if the bid was approved.
“My parents got the dairy buyout, but still being young, they had to come up with something different (to make a living). They were mid-’50s, and had never worked for other people very much, and were scared to death of getting a job,” Kucera joked.
Having relatives in California who operated a pizzeria, Dan and Nancy Kucera learned how to make pizzas and soon after opened a small restaurant of their own in Keno in 1987. The following year they relocated to Klamath Falls, to the same building the pizzeria and brewhouse is located in today.
It was about that time when Rod Kucera began investigating micro-brewing and chose to convert his family’s dairy into a brewery, repurposing much of the equipment and hardware for the task, and in 1996 crafted his first beer, becoming the first brewery in Klamath County. That following year, Mia and Pia’s Pizzeria and Brewhouse was born.
Shared by Jodi Kucera, Mia and Pia’s offered video lottery games slightly before the locally renowned microbrew, and helped to pioneer the trend locally for dine-in hosting such games.
“Back then, video lottery was only found in bars and we became one of the first restaurants you could go to to play,” she said.
During that time, the Kuceras learned the power of networking.
“We’d received a phone call from the Oregon Lottery Commission telling us that we were in violation of our contract and that the games would be shut off,” Jodi Kucera said.
Making a phone call to their networked connections, the Kucera’s quickly learned that the solution was to purchase an additional privilege on their lottery license to include a brewery license.
“Knowing people is a cool thing. Knowing people and working with people will open up many doors,” Jodi Kucera said. “It was because we knew people who knew ‘stuff’ that we were able to get that problem and many more figured out.”
Rod Kucera added that, by networking and forming connections with people who are the best at what they do, you in turn become one of those people.
“That is the true value of networking that I wish I had known in my younger years,” he said.
Aside from networking, the Kuceras said the value they place on human connections is another factor in their continued success.
“It’s a contributing factor as to why we’ve avoided online ordering and delivery services. I’m not afraid of technology, but I’m also not a techno-enthusiast,” Jodi Kucera joked. “Having that face-to-face contact and human connection with our customers, or those who just want to be friends with us in the community, has always meant the most to us.”
In parting advice to entrepreneurs, the Kuceras advised finding something you’re passionate about and then researching to see if there is a need and what the demand for it is. They recommended working in a job within whatever field of interest before risking investments and livelihoods on a business.
“Having drive and passion are wonderful things, but you also need to use your brains,” the Kuceras said. “We’ve been in business a long time and it is not easy, it’s a challenge. We’re lucky we had pizza to eat when things got tough.”
Showing no signs of slowing down, the couple plans to expand with new microbrews and products, some of which will be supplied to retail outlets and other restaurants and taverns throughout the region.
“Thanks to all our many customers for believing in us and standing behind us. The fact we can bring a little ‘homegrown notoriety’ to Klamath Falls is what keeps us going,” they said.
Mia and Pia’s Pizzeria and Brewhouse is open Wednesday through Sunday starting at 11 a.m. and is located at 3545 Summers Lane.
