The Pillar of Fire brings wood-fired pizzas and family recipes to Farmers’ Market.

Content originally published by Ryan Richardson in The Owensboro Times, August 2026. Story sponsored by Independence Bank. 

Wood-fired pizzas, homemade baked goods, and a family-centered approach have helped The Pillar of Fire quickly build a following at the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market.

Owned by Grace Shaffer, The Pillar of Fire made its debut at the market last year before the business’s custom camper trailer was even finished. She and her dad got the trailer done later in the year, and they’ve been going strong ever since.

“I wanted to start something unique that Owensboro had not seen before,” she said. “I wanted our trailer to have character.”

Before launching the business, Shaffer worked as a personal chef in Phoenix, Arizona, where she gained experience in fine dining. After returning to Owensboro, she said she saw an opportunity to introduce her own take on wood-fired pizza while building a career that gave her more time with her son.

Customers can find a rotating selection of wood-fired pizzas, including seasonal specialties that change throughout the year. Customer favorites include the Pillar, the Burning Bush, and the Fiery Furnace.

Beyond its wood-fired pizzas, The Pillar of Fire also offers homemade baked goods prepared by Shaffer’s mother and sisters, including sourdough oatmeal creme pies, cookies, fresh breads, and strawberry pie. Customers can also enjoy homemade strawberry lemonade and sweet tea.

Shaffer said the goal is for every customer to feel welcomed.

“I hope when people visit us at the Farmers’ Market, they are able to see that we want to love on people through food,” she said.

Although the business has expanded beyond the market, Shaffer said becoming a vendor there helped shape the menu and introduce The Pillar of Fire to the community.

“We actually decided to do the market to kind of iron out our pizza menu, but then we kind of blew up last year,” she said.

Shaffer said one of her favorite parts of the market has been the relationships built with fellow vendors and customers.

“I absolutely love the community that we have here at the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market,” she said. “Everyone has been so thoughtful and embracing.”

She said serving the community through food has become one of the most rewarding parts of the business.

“We absolutely love serving people, and serving our community in this way has been absolutely incredible,” Shaffer said. “To be able to genuinely love every single person through our food is one of our favorite things.”

Learn more about The Pillar of Fire by visiting pillaroffirepizza.com, following The Pillar of Fire on Facebook, or following @thepillaroffirechef on Instagram.