Basil Wood Fired Pizza celebrates winning move

Basil Wood Fired Pizza, a popular local food truck, made a big transition in late 2025, relocating from Johnson City to Erwin. Wesley Sumner, and his fiancé, Liên Le, own and operate the food truck, which hasn't missed a beat in continuing to build on its success. The couple told The Erwin Record that they have met some great people since moving their business to Erwin and learned a lot about how customers react to their pizza. What's the favorite pizza among their customers? "Our customers love all of our pizzas, but if we had to choose, we would say it would be between three of our pizzas: Supreme, Hawaiian, pepperoni," Sumner said. He noted that customer feedback has been positive, and they are extremely thankful for all the customer comments they get. "Everyone loves the fresh ingredients, the crust and the fact we do not use seed oils," he added. Sumner said customers also love that the ingredients used by Basil Wood Fired Pizza are imported from Italy. He added that many of their customers are world travelers, and Basil's Wood Fired Pizza reminds them of their time spent in Italy. Sumner and Le spent months perfecting their dough recipe and sourcing ingredients. "We put love into everything we do," Sumner said. "We did not want to put a pizza out there that we weren't absolutely proud of." In their quest for the perfect pie, they have attended pizza expos to learn from the best. "I think Basil Wood Fired Pizza is special because it is different than any other pizza you will have," Sumner said. "It is a testament to all the hard work we have poured into this truck." He noted that the flavor of the pizza does not disappoint, from the crust to the ingredients topping each pie. Sumner said that he and Le plan to eventually find a brick-and-mortar location. "As of right now we plan on scoping out some places that could possibly be our future home," Sumner said, adding that they hope to find a location by the end of the year. Basil Wood Fired Pizza truck is parked at 1067 N. Main Ave., Erwin, located between the Dollar Tree and Nolichucky Wine and Liquor. The food truck is open from noon to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday. Follow Basil Wood Fired Pizza on Facebook and on Instagram at basilwoodfiredpizzeria.